Government Publications on Social Issues

Jump to: Why? | Examples | Statistical Sources | Finding Government Info

Why Use Government Information?

Government publications are outstanding sources of information on many controversial issues. Why? Decisions are made by Congress and other government officials to implement policies and programs to solve social problems. To do this, government agencies collect statistics and have experts do research on the extent and cause of problems. Knowledgable persons testify about the current situation and provide ideas about how to improve conditions. Many government publications are primary sources. Some are in PDF format (free Adobe Reader available).

Examples of government information on current topics

Statistics

• Statistical Abstract of the United States offers statistics on a multitude of topics. Online version gives a choice of Excel or PDF formats. Some consider this title easier to use in print format, which is available in the Oviatt Library Reference Room (ref HA 202). It has a good index, but be aware that the numbers provided by the index refer to table numbers, not page numbers.
• FedStats and the Social Statistics Briefing Room
• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
• Education Statistics--Annual Reports and Education FastFacts
• ChildStats.gov
• California Statistical Abstract
• World Factbook

Finding Government Information

How do you find reports like these? Use Ways to Search for Government Information to learn about databases, indexes, and search engines that can help you locate government information by topic and/or agency.

Research Example: Immigration policies and border security

Sometimes it is easy to identify a government agency that would be a logical author/publisher of information on your topic because the agency’s responsibilities relate directly to the topic; the agency’s web site then can serve as a good starting point to find current information on the topic. As an example, if you were doing research about relationships between immigration policies and United States border security, you would want to examine information from the Department of Homeland Security and several of its agencies:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

However, the United States government is a large and complex organization, which complicates thinking of all the government agencies that might have useful information on a topic. Learning how to use the databases, indexes, and search engines specifically for goverment publications that are listed on Ways to Search for Government Information can save a lot of time and ensure that you have the most useful and current government information. Listed below are a few more examples of full-text government sources that you could find and use to learn more about immigration policies and United States border security.

• Recent Immigration-Related Studies from the Government Accountability Office (an agency which evaluates federal programs) and its Homeland Security collection.
• Congressional Hearings. Congressional committees invite experts to events called hearings to talk, answer questions, and bring data to support their comments as the committee considers new laws or changes in current law to solve problems. Transcripts of recent Congressional hearings are online and can be searched using a keyword approach, but be thoughtful about the terms you use while searching and how you input them into the search—putting a phrase like “border protection” in quotes gets better results.
• Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents includes recent U.S. President speeches and writings.
• Use THOMAS to find and read the text of proposed United States bills (such as the controversial Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005: H.R. 4437)
• Statistical Year Book has Immigration Court and Asylum statistics from the Executive Office for Immigration Review. See also Immigration Statistics, statistical publications from the Office of Immigration Statistics.
• Immigration Law Sanctions and Enforcement in Selected Foreign Countries: Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and Switzerland (PDF), a Law Library of Congress report.
• 9/11 and Terrorist Travel (PDF), a staff report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
• Congressional Research Service Reports. The Congressional Research Service does research for Congress; their reports can be searched or browsed by subject. (Immigration is one of the subjects included). (Database access to their reports is hosted by the University of North Texas).
• Homeland Security Digital Library offers full text access to U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, national strategy documents, and more on issues relating to homeland security. (Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Grants and Training and hosted by the Naval Postgraduate School).

Easy strategies and sources to find government information

• Ways to Search for Government Information
• California Home Page
• Los Angeles Government Sources

More examples of government information

• Effects of gasoline prices on driving behavior and vehicle markets (PDF)
• Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
• Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (PDF)
• Community Environment and Women's Health Outcomes (PDF)
• Animal Rights : Activism vs. Criminality (PDF)
• Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances (PDF)
• Intimate Partner Violence in the United States
• Indicators of Welfare Dependence
• Weapon Use and Violent Crime (PDF)
• Strategies for Reducing Chronic Homelessness (PDF)
• A Nation Online: Entering the Broadband Age
• Indicators of School Crime and Safety
• Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity
• The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide
• Homicide trends in the United States
• International Religious Freedom
• Flag protection constitutional amendment report (PDF)
• Manufacturing in America (PDF)
• Mass Layoff Statistics Data in the United States and Domestic and Overseas Relocation (PDF) and latest Mass Layoff Statistics
• Are College Textbooks Priced Fairly? (PDF) and Turn the Page: Making College Textbooks More Affordable (PDF).
• Child Pornography: Patterns From NIBRS (PDF)
• Remedial education in higher education
• Earnings by Occupation and Education (data by sex for the United States and each state).
• USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and its Reauthorization
• How to find your own "examples"

See also the Research Guide Society's Issues: Controversial and Current

Created and maintained by Mary M. Finley
Questions or comments: mary.finley@csun.edu
Links checked: 10 January 2008