American Government Information Resources
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Courts and The Law |
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Elections and Campaigns |
City
of Chico
You can find information
here about the City Council and other areas of our city government. On
area of interest to U.S. Government classes is Boards
and Commissions, which lists the requirements and salaries of elected
and volunteers to city government.
California:
Welcome to the State of California
Links from the Governor's
office to information on California's elected officials, courts, state
agencies, local government, voting and elections, regulations, etc.
California
Assembly
Find out all about this
house of the legislature, The Assembly.
California
Senate
Find out all about this
house of the legislature, The Senate.
California
Voting and Elections
Find voter registration
information and eligibility requirements for voting; browse ballot propositions
and election results for state and national elections in 1996. View legislative
and congressional district maps for California. Learn about elections,
candidates, parties and PACS including financial information and voting
statistics; download the National Mail Voter Registration Form to register
to vote from anywhere in the U.S.
California
Courts
View the structure of the
court system in California with 100 Municipal Courts, 58 Superior Courts,
18 Courts of Appeal and 1 Supreme Court. Link to a selective list of California
municipal and superior court web sites. Read full-text opinions of the
California Supreme Court and the California Courts of Appeal. Browse publications
available from the Judicial Branch; learn about the Judicial Council of
California; link to the Administrative Office of the Court and more.
Laws,
Codes and Regulations
See all 29 of California's
legal code sections (the laws of the state) with a subject and keyword
search. Browse a searchable index of all California bills passed through
both houses of the Legislature; access statutes by subject and keyword
search. Also, Examine the text of current public laws enacted by the U.S.
Congress. Browse the major bills and amendments currently before Congress
by topic, title, bill number or by those enacted into law. Search the text
of public regulations issued by the agencies of the Federal government.
Butte
County Supervisorial Maps
Maps of the Butte County
Supervisorial Districts as adopted by the Butte County Supervisors, Fall
2001.
Butte
County Supervisorial District Information
"The County of Butte is
divided into five supervisorial districts. The districts vary in size to
provide for an equal distribution of the County's population, not geographical
size. District division based on population is designed to give all
citizens of the County equal representation on the County Board."
Butte
County Clerk: Supervisorial Information, Agendas, Minutes, Etc.
"On this site you will find
current and past agendas, current and past minutes, supervisor and district
information, board meeting information, assessment appeals information,
public hearing notices, the appointments registry ( a listing of county
boards commissions and committees), a county department head listing, the
Chico Urban Area Nitrate Compliance Plan, and links to sites of possible
interest."
Little
Hoover Commission
Created in 1962 by the California
legislature, the Little Hoover Commission (Milton Marks "Little Hoover"
Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy) is
a bipartisan, independent body whose function is to promote efficiency,
effectiveness and economy in state programs. Its reports cover investigations
into issues which are important to the legislature, and affect lawmaking.
Legislative
Analyst's Office Search Publications
The Legislative Analyst's
Office (LAO) provides analysis and nonpartisan advice to the California
Legislature on fiscal and policy issues, and has done so for over fifty
years. See also their": Cal
Facts: California's Economy and Budget in Perspective. Many of
the reports are available online. Scroll down their page and click on any
that you want to read or use.
National Constitutions
Scroll down the page to find a country. Offers versions of the country's constitutions from different points in history.Constitution Finder
This database offers constitutions, charters, amendments, and other related documents. Nations of the world are linked to their constitutional text posted somewhere on the Internet.Nations of the World (Nations and Associated Jurisdictions)
Scroll down the page to find a country. Related information of the country's constitution is also offered.Constitutional Law
Scroll down the page to find a country. There are many missing.
Public
Agenda
A great deal of statistical
information on various current issues is available here. "Drawing on its
research, Public Agenda prepares a broad array of educational materials
that help explain policy issues to the public in a balanced and easy-to-understand
way. Citizens can use this information to weigh various choices and make
educated decisions."
Project
Vote Smart: Research the Issues
Most all of the major issues
of importance to American voters are listed here, with links to Web information
resources which relate to them.
On
the Issues: Every Political Leader on Every Issue
Provides information based
on the quotes and activities of the candidates and office holders.
Political
& General Columnists
Browse online newspaper
columnists for opinion and editorial articles on subjects of current interest.
Social
Issues: Information Resources On the Web
Links to Web information
related to the major social issues of our day. Created by Multnomah Public
Library to meet the needs of Multnomah County middle and high school students
researching current social issues from multiple perspectives.
Travel
Warnings & Consular Information Sheets
Use these travel warnings
to find out about current world problems, according to the U.S. Government
State Department. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department
decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans
avoid travel to a certain country. Countries
where avoidance of travel
is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Consular Information
Sheets.
US
House of Representatives: Map of State Gains
Shows which states gained
votes in the Electoral College after the 2000 Census.
Allocation
of Electoral Votes based on the 2000 Census See
how many electoral votes each state gets.
See also the page about
the U.
S. Electoral College
Voting
Irregularities in Florida During the 2000 Presidential Election
Full text of an extensive
report issued after the investigation by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
"The Commission has broad authority over voting rights. It has general
jurisdiction to examine allegations regarding the right of U.S. citizens
to vote and to have their votes counted. These allegations may include,
but are not limited to, allegations that arise from reasons of race, color,
religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin."
U.S.
Government Agencies and Departments
Ben's
Guide to Government
Find out all about how the
U.S. Government works, with its three branches.
Congressional
Glossary (C-SPAN)
Are you wondering about
the meaning of some of the terminology associated with the U.S. Congress?
This glossary allows you to click on any term used in Congress to see its
definition.
Federal
Web Locator
One of the most comprehensive
guides to federal agencies, departments and government information. Note:
Be sure to scroll down the page to see the table of contents, organized
according to branch of government.
Federal
Government Resources on the Web
Information on many government
agencies and departments are available from this Website provided by the
University of Michigan Documents Center. Excellent starting place for research
on any area of the U.S. government.
FirstGov
The only official U.S. Government
portal to 30 million pages of government information, services, and online
transactions; it offers "a powerful search engine that searches every word
of every U.S. government document in a quarter of a second or less." Browse
according the subject of information you desire.
Information
USA
Provided by the U.S. Department
of State, this site offers a wide variety of information about American
government and our people, both current and historic. Created for other
countries of the world to get to know Americans better, it is also very
useful for those who live here as well.
Who's
Who in the Federal Government
"Need biographical information
on the Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee? Where did John
Ashcroft get his law degree? Here it is with much more." Many statements
and biographies of the top governmental officials are given.
In-Depth Information About U. S. Presidents
The
Presidents of the United States of America Biographies
From the White House, a
series of articles on the Presidents of the U.S., including inaugural addresses
and quotations. Also has links to additional resources on each president.
Also, see The White House,
the official Web Page of the Office of the President of the United States.
American
Presidents: Life Portraits
In addition to pictures
of U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents, you will find videos of various
experts and reporters reflecting and reporting on the various presidents.
The
American President
This Web site for the ten-part
series was the first documentary series ever to profile all 41 of America's
chief executives. It includes video clips from the TV show, and tells the
story of the nation from the perspective of the highest office in the land,
and features exclusive interviews with President Clinton and all the living
former presidents except Ronald Reagan. There is a separate section for
each episode.
The
Presidents
This collection of information
about U.S. Presidents is provided by the Public Broadcasting service, to
accompany their PBS Television series: The Presidents. See sections:" Snap
Shot, The Era, Domestic Policy, Foreign policy, and Presidential Politics--
in order to get a feel for their work, life and times.
The
American Presidency Project
The American Presidency
Project archives contain over 72,000 documents related to the study of
the Presidency, and its Document Archive is organized into these extensive
sections: Public Papers, State of the Union Messages, Inaugural Addresses,
Radio Addresses, Fireside Chats, Press Conferences, Executive Orders, Proclamations,
Signing Statements, Press Briefings, Debates, Convention Speeches, Party
Platforms. It also includes extensive data and media archives, including
many audio and video recordings. Many other related resources are available
at this site. Publisher: University of California.
American
President: An Online Reference Source
A different site from the
one above. AmericanPresident.org offers perspectives on the presidency:
In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each President and
administration.
The
American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
In addition to general presidential
information, you will find a timeline of presidents and candidates for
the office, the First Ladies, assassinations, and many illustrations that
enrich one's understanding of the office of the president.
American
Rhetoric: Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th Century
Many speeches by U.S. presidents
are included here. It is interesting to note how they compare to the other
speakers.
Audio:
Voices of American Presidents in the 20th Century
Hear Real Audio and MP3
recordings of the presidents of the Twentieth Century.
Photojournalism
and the American Presidency - Presidents
Richard Nixon. Gerald Ford.
Jimmy Carter. Ronald Reagan. George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton. We chose them
to lead our country, and we came to know them through pictures. Photographs
gave us access to both their public and private lives. From Nixon waving
farewell on the South Lawn to Clinton sharing a tender moment with his
family, these images are forever etched into the minds of a nation.
Presidential
Campaign Web Sites: 2004 Election
Many of these have video
of speeches and TV advertising, as well as other information from and about
the candidates.
Presidents
of the United States
The Internet Public Library
has an excellent collection of links to information about all U.S. Presidents.
Just click on a presidential link, and his special page will be brought
up. Then click on: Election Results, Cabinet Members, Presidency Highlights,
Internet Biographies, Historical Documents, Media Resources, Fast Facts,
or Other Internet Resources for information in those areas.
Inaugural
Addresses of the Presidents: George Washington to George W. Bush
The written (and some recorded
versions) of Presidential Inaugural Addresses are available her, along
with a lot more information on The Presidency.
Portraits
of the Presidents and First Ladies
This is a set of portraits
of presidents and first ladies. Several of the forty-one presidents also
appear in military settings or informal surroundings. Popular subjects,
such as images of inaugurations and the White House, are included, as are
such perennial favorites as Abraham Lincoln with Sojourner Truth, Calvin
Coolidge at a baseball game, Warren G. Harding with his lively dog Laddie,
and Dwight D. Eisenhower with American paratroopers in England.
Time
Line of Presidents and First Ladies
Each president and first
lady is listed chronologically according to the president's term(s) in
office. There are also links to their pictures, when available.
Presidential
Debates: The Great Debate
The American Presidency
Project offers written transcripts of presidential debates of the past
and present, beginning in 1960.
Presidential
Libraries
From the National Archives,
a digital collection of materials documenting actions, lives, and times
of the U.S. presidents. You will have to use the links on the page to go
to various collections. For background, see the essay "An Overview of the
Presidential Libraries".
The
Imperial Presidency's New Vestments
Lengthy essay about how
the office of the President has expanded its powers beyond what the Constitution
allows.
Global
Interventionism and a New Imperial Presidency
Overview of a policy paper,
with link to the full report, produced by the conservative political think
tank, the Cato Institute.
THOMAS
U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives legislative information provided. Find out about current
and past lawmaking, and future laws being considered. Be sure to scroll
down the entire page to see all that is available. Full text of House and
Senate proposed and passed laws. Allows searching of several prior Congressional
sessions.
Biographical
Directory of the U.S. Congress
Brief background data is
available on all members of the House and Senate. Search by name. Includes
all members who have served, going back to the Continental Congress. Tip:
Try a search on "Bidwell, John".
The
U.S. Senate
The official U.S. Senate
Website. Check on the work of individual senators, creation of laws in
the Senate, and how the Senate operates-- plus other useful information.
The
U.S. House Of Representatives
Listing of all information
available with regards to the U.S. House of Representatives. Just about
anything you might want to know about our country's laws and the legislative
process is available here.
Project
Vote Smart
Information on elected officials
and those running for public office at the state and national level.
Biographical
Directory of the U.S. Congress
Brief background data is
available on all members of the House and Senate. Search by name. Includes
all members who have served, going back to the Continental Congress. Tip:
Try a search on "Bidwell, John".
Congressional
Operations: Educational Resources
A series of informative
reports on how Congress operates, its organization, and history is offered
here. Mostly focuses on the House of Representatives.
Politics
and Political Parties
A collection of links to
information about political parties, politicians, elections and related
matters (CHS Library links).
The Nation's Courts and the Law
FindLaw
Organizes vast amounts of
information about laws on various subjects. Here are some of the separate
sections you may go directly to at FindLaw:
Cases
at a Glance (A.B.A. List of Current and Recent Supreme Court Cases)
This site offers an a look
at the issues raised in every case set for oral argument. It will briefly
explain the case's highlights and full text of the Court's decisions for
those that have been decided. Cases at a Glance for previous terms are
also available, back to Fall 1999.
(Oyez,
Oyez) Supreme Court Multimedia Database
A good introduction to the
U.S. Supreme Court. Includes information about the cases, justices, and
the institution. You may browse cases By Issue and By Term, and also by
Attorneys, Civil Rights, Criminal Procedure, Due Process, Economic Activity,
Federal Taxation, Federalism, First Amendment, Interstate Relations, Judicial
Power, Miscellaneous, Privacy, Unions.
Historic
File of U.S.Supreme Court Decisions
Contains the full text of
7,407 U.S. Supreme Court Decisions from 1937 to 1975. Decisions can be
read on your browser's screens. Most are very large and may take a while
to download.
Precedent
Defined: The concept of judicial precedent is defined in these articles:
Precedent
- from FindLaw Law Dictionary
Precedent
- definition from Nolo Press
Precedent
- from Wikipedia
Precedent
definition - Harvard Law Dictionary
Precedent
- from Gale Discovering Collection (detailed explanation)
Milestone
Cases in Supreme Court History
Briefly explains the key
points and gives a sense of their historical
precedents of some
of the most important Supreme Court cases. Here is a two-page article on
The
Court and Constitutional Interpretation, which explains how, "As
the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American
people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions
as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution."
Landmark
Supreme Court Cases
Standard resources available
for each case include: Background summaries and questions for three different
reading levels; Diagrams of how the cases moved through the court system;
Excerpts from the majority (and where appropriate) the dissenting opinions;
Links to the full text of the Supreme Court's decisions.
The
1000 Cases Most Cited by the Court Itself
This database contains a
list of the one thousand United States Supreme Court decisions which have
been most cited as precedents by the Supreme Court itself during
the period 1922 through June 30, 1999. There is no information available
on the cases themselves. Their list is ranked with the most frequently
cited cases at the top. Click here to read about the
procedures of the US Supreme Court.
The
Supreme Court Historical Society
At this site you can find
comprehensive biographical information about the justices, a thorough history
of the Court, samples of great oral arguments, and a convenient "Timeline
of the Justices", plus an extensive section on "how the Court Works", and
a number of special documentary features on various historical issues
related to the Supreme Court. The site also includes a section describing
how the Supreme Court operates.
About
the Supreme Court
Offers background articles
about the various functions of the U.S. Supreme Court, including: A
Brief Overview of the Supreme Court,
The Court as an Institution,
The Court and Constitutional Interpretation,
The Court and Its Procedures,
and others.
The
United States (Legal) Code
Search this database for
the full text of the laws of the land. Or, if it is easier for you, use
the Table of Contents
at the bottom of the site to see laws according to their subject.
Laws
and Legal Information By Categories
Cornell University's links
can be accessed through a set of topic categories, and an alphabetical
listing of topics, and a searchable index. Just start with the general
categories area, and follow the pathways to more specific topics.
Return to the C.H.S. Library
Social
Studies Page
Updated by the C.H.S. Library Webster: 3-27-2007.
