Libraries: Political Science: Reference

Encyclopedias

Britannica Academic
Includes the Encyclopedia Britannica, World Data Analyst (statistics on the countries of the world), Gateway to the Classics (significant works in literature, philosophy, history, and science), Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and more.

Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
Richard Dean Burns, Alexander DeConde, and Fredrik Logevall, Eds. 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 1887 pp. 3 vols.
Encyclopedia of Global Change
Includes 300 full-text articles on phenomena that impact life on Earth, including altered ecosystems, climate change, food and water supply, and population.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
Includes over 900 full-text articles addressing topics such as identity, art, politics, religion, education, health, and history.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies
For 198 countries provides in-depth analysis of the economic environment, statistics on current economic conditions, trends, and key demographics of the nation's citizens.

Avalon Project at Yale
Primary source materials in the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government.
FindLaw
Historical documents and background information on the U.S. courts and government. Includes introductory materials and sections on federal law, state law, case summaries, and U.S. code.
Making of America
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
U.S. Judicial Branch Resources
Contains links to U.S. Judicial Branch resources on the web as well as other sites specializing in legal information.
United States Constitution
The text of the U.S. Constitution. Includes annotations and the ability to search the text.

BBC News Country Profiles
Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions. They also include audio and video clips from BBC archives.
Countries and Their Cultures
225 countries are described,focusing on the ways of life of the people, and the main forces affecting them. For each country there is a mix of demographic, historical, social, economic, political, and religious information.
Country Studies
A series of online books dealing with 101 foreign countries, describing and analyzing their political, economic, social, and national security systems and institutions.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
Encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary and subject specific research in areas such as art, business, education, history, etc.

World Factbook
Provides detailed country profile” for most countries in the world. Covers geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. Includes country maps.

OxResearch Database
Provides succinct reports covering world and regional economic and political developments of significance. Designed to help students research and analyze the impact of probable developments on the business climate

American Community Survey Data Tables & Tools
Provides access to social, economic, housing, and demographic data by county or city. Data come from the American Community Survey.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Good for statistical data on the economy; especially good for earnings and occupational outlook information. Well-designed site for quick answers to common U.S. economy questions.
Census Business Builder (CBB)
The Census Business Builder (CBB) is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format.
State and County Quick Facts
Provides people, business, and geography QuickFacts, which are frequently requested data items from various Census Bureau programs.
Data is available at the national, state, and county levels.

Statista
Statista provides access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and more. Data sources include market research reports, such as the Ipsos Affluent Survey published annually by Ipsos Media, Simmons National Consumer Studies and Consumer Insights from Scarborough Research, as well as trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.

UNFPA WorldWide
Provides data on internal disparities, highlighting differences within countries such as urban and rural areas. Each country page features a population-policy profile that details current social and political contexts and policy priorities.
United Nations Statistics Division
Includes statistic information from international agencies, United Nations specialized agencies, and autonomous international organizations.
US Census Data
Search or browse data held by the U.S. Census Bureau throughout history. You can view the data in multiple formats including map visualizations and data tables.
World Bank Data
Contains data from over 220 countries and country groups covering more than 2,000 financial, business, health, economic and human development statistics. The data include social, economic, financial, natural resources, infrastructure, governance, partnership, and environmental indicators.