LibGuides: Social Work 584: Policy Practice and Advocacy: U.S. Background Information

Background Information

Congress.gov
From The Library of Congress. Overview of how laws are made. Includes a congressional glossary.
Congress.gov Legislative Glossary
Brief explanations of legislative terms used throughout Congress.gov.

Congressional Information Research Guide
Learn about congressional sources that can provide you with background information on bills and laws and how they were created.

U.S. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is for anyone looking for statistics on social, demographic or economic data on a national, state or local level. Information is available from a variety of sources, including the decennial censuses from 1790 to 2020, the American Community Survey, and the Economic Census.
Explore Census Data
The go-to source for demographic information about the United States. It’s possible to browse or search for statistics by topic, geography, race and ethnic groups, or industry codes.
Data.gov
Data.gov provides access to federal data generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government with information ranging in areas from education, energy, health, law, and more.

If you have need help finding data, please contact Carissa Marie Phillips at choller@illinois.edu

FindLaw
Access to the United States Code, the compilation of public laws currently in effect.
Legislative Insight
Also accessible through ProQuest Congressional. Click on "Legislative & Executive Publications" and select "Legislative Insight" from the drop-down menu. Provides the history of an act. Includes hearings, reports, debates, and every version of a bill. Great place to find where and how a policy got started. Additionally, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides summaries and background information with arguments for and against a bill in one document . If available, these are linked to at the end of an acts/bills page.

ProQuest Congressional Publications This link opens in a new window
Provides users with access to a comprehensive collection of historic and current congressional information. Includes full text of congressional publications, finding aids, a bill tracking service, public laws and other research materials. The database is an effective source for general research in many academic disciplines, in addition to research related to specific legislative proposals and laws. Researchers can access information about Congress, including member biographical and committee assignment information, voting records, and financial data.

GovInfo
GovInfo provides free online access to official Federal Government publications.

Illinois General Assembly
Search for bills, public acts, and statutes. Includes legislative glossary.
Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, DC (LLSDC) State Laws and State Regulations
Links to state legislature websites and resources on state legislation/regulation research.