alexander mack memorial library

 

Subject Guide- Political Science

Page history last edited by Cori Biddle 2 wks ago

Representative Reference Sources for Political Science

When doing a search for information in Political Science, start by establishing a basic understanding of the terms and concepts in the field.  Reference books such as dictionaries, handbooks, manuals, and encyclopedias are great sources for this type of information.

 

Anti-Americanism: History, Causes, and Themes                                               R 303.48 A629 2007

A collection of essays that examines the historical cause and current manifestation of anti-American opinion from around the world. Each of the four volumes has a table of contents and separate index.

 

The Book of the States                                                                                                 R 352.13 B724 2005

This annual publication has statistics and information on each state from state and federal sources. 

 

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Presidency                                     R 352.23 G946 2008

Not only does this resource consider the history, powers and responsibilities of the presidency, but the guide showcases information on each president, vice-president, and first lady.              

 

Directory of State & Local Government Officials                                                R 352.0755 D598 0506

This Virginia Review publication provides contact information for state and local government officials.  This directory is easy to use and offers extensive information.

 

Encyclopedia of American Presidency                                                                   R 353.0313 E566 1994

Includes biographies and the major issues surrounding each presidency (up to 1994).

 

Encyclopedia of Globalization                                                                                    R303.482 E56

Topics include issues from history, economics, environmentalism, political and cultural disciplines. The 1st volume includes an alphabetical list of entries and a reader’s guide.

 

Encyclopedia of Political Communication                                           R 320.014 E56 2008

"This two-volume resource considers political communication from a broad interdisciplinary perspective, encompassing the many different roles that communication plays in political processes in the United States and around the world."

 

Historical Atlas of US Presidential Elections 1788-2004                                    R 324.973 H673 2006

Outlines the basic election process, and a historical outline for each election. Maps for each election illustration voting patterns across the US.

 

The Presidency A-Z                                                                                                        R 353.0313 P933 1992

Contains shorter entries on the Presidents and Vice Presidents, along with basic issues of each.

 

The United States Government Manual                                                                R 353 U58u, 2005-06

This manual provides comprehensive information on all three branches of government and outlines government involvement in groups and organizations around the world.

 


 

Finding Books and Other Items in the Library

To find book and other resources on political science in our general collection start by going to the ALEX online catalog and searching by subject.  In addition, searching by keyword can broaden your search and retrieve more information. 

 

Browse by call number: 

·         320  Political science

·         321  Systems of governments & states

·         322  Relation of state to organized groups

·         323  Civil & political rights

·         324  The political process

·         350  Public administration

·         351  Central governments

·         352  Local governments

·         353  U.S. federal & state governments

 


 

 

Resources for Finding Articles on Political Science

For the latest information from authoritative sources, use scholarly journals.  Online library databases like Academic Search Complete and  JSTOR are examples of general databases that contain information from multiple disciplines. The following databases are other examples, typically more specific in nature, that contain information concerning this discipline.

 

Wiley InterScience (Formerly Blackwell Synergy)

You can browse by subject area, like Politics or use the advanced search option to find articles covering a specific subject area.

Dow Jones Factiva

This database contains articles from national and international newspapers. 

 

Expanded Academic ASAP

This is a general database that contains information on a variety of topics.

 

GPO Monthly Catalog

Available though OCLC’s FirstSearch, this database provides full-text access to government publications. You have the ability to search by author, title, or keyword.

 

Military & Government Collection

Contains over 400 journals, covering current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government.

 

NewsBank

Provides access to regional and national newspapers, along with some international news sources.

 

Opposing View Points

Allows users to receive information on a topic collected from a variety of different viewpoints.

 

PAIS

The PAIS International database provides citation information and some full-text for more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, and more.

 

Polling the Nations

Polling the Nations is a collection of public opinion surveys from the United States and more than 100 countries around the world.

 

 

Journal Finder

If you are having trouble finding the full text of a journal, Journal Finder can help point you towards the right database. 

 


 

Web Resources in Political Science

There is a great variety of web sites that might be useful for your research.  Following are a few suggestions. For additional web resources, check out the library's delicious list of websites.

 

Bridgewater College’s Department of History and Political Science

The home page for the Department of History and Political Science at Bridgewater College.

 

The American Presidency Project

This archive contains over 85 thousand documents related to the Presidency, ranging from George Washington to Barack Obama. It combines the series: "The Messages and Papers of the Presidents," "The Public Papers of the Presidents," and "The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents." Materials like FDR's Fireside Chats include the text and audio.

 

The Council of State Governments

This site provides links to each state government in the United States along with some other state governments.  This site is a great source of current issues and information.

 

Election Resources on the Internet

Information on elections throughout the world

 

USA.Gov

The official U.S. Government web site for the citizens of the United States.  The site provides a multitude of information on the federal government in a searchable format.

 

The White House Online

Provides information on the presidency and current issues of the office.

 

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