Web Resources

the Green Book has become a valuable resource and standard reference on American social policy. It is widely used by Members of Congress and their staffs, analysts in congressional and administrative agencies, members of the media, scholars, and citizens interested in the Nation's social policy.

Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.

Website. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The work of the GAO is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or is mandated by pubic laws or committee reports. They also undertake research under the authority of the Comptroller General. They support congressional oversight by: (1) auditing agency operations to determine if federal funds are spent efficiently & effectively; (2) investigating allegations of illegal or improper activities; (3) reporting on how well government programs & policies are meeting objectives; (4) performing policy analyses and outlining options for congressional considerations; and (5) issuing legal decisions and opinions.

Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. There are two types of reports:
House and Senate Reports: Reports of congressional committees concerning proposed legislation and/or contain findings on matters under investigation.

The Children's Defense Fund policy and advocacy work includes raising awareness, gathering and analyzing data, publishing reports and research, highlighting promising practices, seeking legislative and administrative improvements and, perhaps most importantly, implementing policies so they truly benefit the most vulnerable children.

American taxpayers spend over $100 million a year to fund the Congressional Research Service, a "think tank" that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. Yet, these reports are not made available to the public in a way that they can be easily obtained. CRS Reports do not become public until a member of Congress releases the report. A number of libraries and non-profit organizations have sought to collect as many of the released reports as possible. CRS is a a libguide that provides links to numerous libraries and organizations that make these reports avaialble to the public. Unfortunately, there is no systematic way to obtain all CRS reports. Because of this, you might have to search several of these links

KFF is a nonprofit organization focusing on health issues facing the nation and its people. Based in San Francisco CA, KFF is a widely respected leader in national health policy and health communications.

Non-partisan, not for profit news service. Since 1999, Stateline has reported and analyzed trends in state policy, with unparalleled coverage in all 50 states. Coverage and insight into the most important policy developments on a range of issues, making it an indispensable resource for policy makers, researchers, and others at all levels of government.

List from Harvard University.

An excellent annotated list of all types of think tanks