Federal Government Information
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Gateways: When you're not sure where to start, there are several reliable gateways to federal information.
FirstGov.gov --http://www.firstgov.gov/ ---The official government site’s slogan, "Your First Click to the U.S. Government" is just that—the starting point for all online U.S. Government agency information. Searching can be done in three different ways-- by keyword, by topic or by government agency
Google - Unclesam http://www.google.com/unclesam - Google's search engine for Federal Government information.
U.S. Consumer Gateway: http://www.consumer.gov -This site is organized by category, providing links to consumer specific information.
Information USA http://usinfo.state.gov/infousa/index.html - A federal web site maintained by the Department of State's Office of International Information Programs (IIP), the principal international strategic communications service for the foreign affairs community an independent foreign affairs agency within the United States executive branch of government. The site's purpose is to provide U.S. information to foreign countries.
U.S. Business Advisor http://www.business.gov -"one-stop electronic link to government for business"
U.S. Nonprofit Gateway http://www.nonprofit.gov -For nonprofit organizations, a good starting point for online access to federal information and services.
University Gateways:
University of Michigan Documents Center
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/federal.html- A comprehensive web site for finding federal online resources.
Starting Points - Places to begin your search
Fedstats: http://www.fedstats.gov - Maintained by the U.S. Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, Fedstats has a search engine with links to statistics from more than 70 federal agencies. Mapstats provides a quick link to U.S. geographical statistics http://www.fedstats.gov/mapstats/
Other Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web http://www.bls.gov/bls/other.htm From the Bureau of Labor Statistics-- links to federal and international statistical agencies.
The White House provides a useful starting point for U.S. social and economic statistical information:
- The Social Statistics Briefing Room http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/ssbr.html
- The Economic Statistics Briefing Room http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html
Population
U.S. Census Bureau -The United States Department of Commerce's U.S. Bureau of the Census web page provides a helpful search engine and subject list. http://www.census.gov Highlights:
State and County Quick Facts http://quickfacts.census.gov/ - Select a state and retrieve census statistics down to county and metro levels - Examples: New Jersey and Camden County
United States Historical Census Data Browser: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census -From the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), ICPSR provides statistics on the U.S. people and economy (state and county) from 1790 - 1970.
American Factfinder: http://factfinder.census.gov - Community profiles, maps, and tables.
World Population Information http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/ - World population estimates, projections, and profiles from the Census Bureau's International Programs Center.
U.S. Census Publications in Portable Document Format : PDF Publications http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html - Key Census publications providing economic and population information. Publications are in Portable Document Format (pdf) http://www.census.gov/main/www/pdf.html. In order to view PDF files, Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) Reader is required. (available for free from Get Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Publications Subjects Index http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/pdf-az.html - An A to Z listing of U.S. Census publications available in portable document format (PDF).
Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://stats.bls.gov - Labor statistics from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Highlights:
State & Area Current Employment Statistics Home Page - http://www.bls.gov/sae/
- Local Area Unemployment Statistics Home Page - http://www.bls.gov/lau/
Crime Statistics
U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs include Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) crime statistics and Department of Justice publications. The Bureau of Justice Statistics lists information alphabetically, topically, and chronologically.
Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov - Includes the publication Uniform Crime Reports and other United States crime statistics.
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook - The browse and keyword searchable version of the print reference source.
Entitlements
Social Security Administration - The Social Security Administration's Office of Policy is responsible for conducting policy analysis, research and evaluation of Social Security Administration programs. Statistics on federal entitlement programs; Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.
Economic Statistics
EconData.Net http://www.econdata.net/ - A useful guide to regional economic activity; supported by the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Economic Report of the President - Sponsored by the President's Council of Economic Advisors, this annual statistical publication is available with a search engine on GPO Access.
Federal Reserve Board: Economic Research and Data - http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases The Federal Reserve Board's link to daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual statistical releases of interest rates, foreign exchange rates, consumer credit, etc., and selected Federal Reserve Bulletin articles.
The Office of Trade and Economic Analysis - Trade Statistics from the U.S. Commerce Department http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/index.html
Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) http://nces.ed.gov/ - Major source of U.S. education statistics. Includes the current editions of the government documents, Digest of Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics, and Dropout Rates in the United States.
Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ - United States health statistics. Includes the government documents: Advance Data from the Vital and Health Statistics, National Health Interview Series, Monthly Vital Statistics Report, and Health United States.
Immigration Statistics
Immigration and Naturalizaton Service
http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/ This site provides immigration statistics, as well as state estimates of the United States' illegal alien resident and foreign-born populations.
Government Printing Office http://www.access.gpo.gov - The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) is the federal government's main printer. The GPO disseminates federal government information through its Federal Depository Library Program.
GPO Access - http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html . GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.
Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet http://thomas.loc.gov - Similar to GPO Access, Thomas provides access to legislative documents.
Congressional Publications on GPO ACCESS - http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/ - Lists Congressional publications available on GPO Access.
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774 - 1873 A collection in progress
United States House of Representatives -- Committee Links http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house/hclinks.html - GPO's links to information about House committees, with web sites and committee membership lists.
United States Senate -- Committee Links http://www.access.gpo.gov/Congress/Senate/sclinks.html - GPO's links to Senate committee information.
Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov - The Library of Congress' homepage includes links to the U.S. Copyright Office, Library Of Congress Catalog and collections, and other Library of Congress resources: American Memory, Library of Congress online exhibitions.
United States House of Representatives http://www.house.gov: The U.S. House of Representatives' homepage.
Office of the Clerk On-line Information Center http://www.clerkweb.house.gov/ - This site includes current and historical information about the U.S. House of Representatives. Includes Roll Call Votes from the 101st Congress, 2nd Session (1990) to the present.
Committee Hearings - http://commdocs.house.gov/committees - Provides access to selected full-text Congressional hearings. There is no search engine, therefore, hearings can only be retrieved by committee groupings.
United States Senate: http://www.senate.gov - Current Senate committee hearing schedules, Senate directories, news, history and art.
Architect of the Capital http://www.aoc.gov - Current and historical architectural information related to the Capital and other Congressional buildings and the U.S. Botanic Garden.
General Accounting Office http://www.gao.gov The General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, audits and evaluates government programs and activities. Online GAO Reports are accessible from this homepage and GPO Access.
Executive Branch - The President is the administrative head of the executive branch of the Government, which includes numerous agencies, both temporary and permanent, as well as the 14 executive departments. The Cabinet is composed of the heads of the 14 executive departments-- the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General.
White House http://www.whitehouse.gov - Includes the White House Gateway to Government http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/ which provides users with sources for information on all branches and agencies of the federal government and the latest government statistics http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/fsbr.html.
Healthfinder http://www.healthfinder.gov - The Department of Health and Human Service's gateway to consumer health and human services information.
Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov - The Food and Drug Administration homepage has a vast amount of consumer health food and drug safety information: Gateway to Food Safety Information http://www.foodsafety.gov
- FDA Consumer, the Magazine of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Monthly magazine with informative, useful health-related articles. Includes an archive and search engine.
Food and Nutrition Information Center http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/index.html - The United States Department of Agriculture's center for food and nutrition information. Includes food pyramid, dietary guidelines, food safety reports and studies.
Country Studies: Area Handbook Series http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html - Full-text country reports with a useful search engine.
CIA World Factbook http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html - Central Intelligence Agency's compendium of country information, including maps and country flags.
Background Notes http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/index.html - Political, economic, and geographic information for each country provided by the Department of State.
Country Reports: Economic and Trade Practices http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/trade_reports/index.html - Prepred by the U.S.State Department to assist members of Congress on trade and economic legislation. The reports provide information on individual country's economic trade policices and practices.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/hrp_reports_mainhp.html - U.S. State Department reports on individual country human rights practices.
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) http://www.fas.usda.gov - Provides global Market Reports with world market and commodity analysis.
The Federal Judiciary Homepage: News and information about the Federal Courts http://www.uscourts.gov - Provides an introduction to the United States court system and how the structure works.
Supreme Court Decisions 1990 - present http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html - From the Law School of Cornell University's Legal Information Institute.
The Oyez Project: Northwestern University http://www.oyez.org/ - A multimedia database containing briefs from key cases and most written opinions since 1891.
FindLaw Supreme Court Opinions http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html - From Findlaw Inc., Supreme Court opinions from U.S. Reports 150 (1893 - ) to the present. Search options: browse by year, U.S. Reports citation, party name, and full-text.
Smithsonian Institution http://www.si.edu Includes a helpful link to the Smithsonian's Museums and Research Centers highlights:
- National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov can search the collection by keyword
- National Museum of American Art http://americanart.si.edu/index3.cfm able to browse collections of digitized works by artist's name.
Department of the Interior http://www.doi.gov - links to National Park Service/Wildlife and Plants homepages:
National Park Service http://www.nps.gov - Part of the Department of the Interior, some of this site's highlights: National Register of Historic Places , NatureNet:The National Park Service's Natural Resource Place on the Web.
Recreational Opportunities on Federal Lands http://www.recreation.gov - Recreation.Gov is a one stop source of recreation information available on federal lands.
Travel Publications http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html - The U.S. State Department's travel tips for Americans abroad.
Business Travel: Information for Americans Overseas http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/business/business_travel.html -This U.S. State Department site provides the latest travel information for business travelers: Security Information, General Travel and Consular Information, and Doing Business and Living Overseas.
Finding Aids
GPO Locator Tools and Services - Locator tools for finding government information products in the Federal Depository Library Program Electronic Collection and other Federal government Agency sites.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications - Government Printing Office's catalog of depository publications. Items that include electronic format have immediate links.
Government Information Locator Service - GILS records identify public information resources within the Federal Government, describe the information available in these resources, and assist in obtaining the information.
Online Full-text Government Documents
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance http:www.cfda.gov - Source of information on federal grants and financial aid.
Medicare Handbook http://www.medicare.gov/
Monthly Labor Review Online - (1989 - present) Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics print publication, Monthly Labor Review, provides analysis & research articles related to employment and unemployment information.
Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ - Keyword searchable version of the frequently used print reference source.
Social Security Handbook http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/ssa-hbk.htm
Statistical Abstract of the United States http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ Online full-text version of the popular reference publication.
Securities and Exchange Commission http://www.sec.gov - Online access to the SEC Reports of publicly traded companies = EDGAR Database http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
International Trade Administration http://www.ita.doc.gov - Part of the Department of Commerce, the ITA's mission is to help U.S. businesses compete in the global marketplace.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)- http://www.ftc.gov With a mission to protect federal antitrust laws and protect consumers, the FTC provides access to publications that are useful to consumers and businesses.
Public Debt: Bureau of the Public Debt http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov - Provides information about the public debt from 1987-present. Investment information on Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds.
Small Business Administration - http://www.sba.gov Information for small business owners and those who want to start a small business.
Business Travel: Information for Americans Overseas - This U.S. State Department provides the latest overseas travel information: security information, consular, and doing business and living overseas.
U.S. Department of Education - http://www.ed.gov/ - A starting point for information on and about education.
Global Education Locator - http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/ - A quick way to search and locate information about postsecondary institutions, public schools or districts, public libraries, or private schools in the United States.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence - http://www.free.ed.gov/ - Federal agencies joined forces to provide Federal Resources for Academic Excellence--resources for teachers, students, or parents.
The Educators' Reference Desk http://www.eduref.org/
The AskERIC site and question-answer service itself was discontinued on December 19, 2003. This new site, the Educators' Reference Desk, includes the 2000 lesson plans, 3000 value-added pointers to education information & organizations, and 200 question archives accessed at askeric.org.
Access America for Students - http://www.students.gov - from the Federal Electronic Commerce Program Office, this web site provides useful links to help students find information about recreational activities, education, career planning, and financial aid.
Federal Government "Kids Pages" - gateway to federal agency web sites devoted to information for children. http://www.kids.gov/
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids - the Government Printing Office's children's guide to U.S. Government information. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Afterschool.gov - Federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school hours http://www.afterschool.gov
United Census 2000, Census in Schools - Census in Schools provides educators with the tools to teach about the people and economy of the United States. (annotation from website) http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/teachers.html
Healthfinder.gov for Kids - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's health information site for children. http://www.healthfinder.gov/kids/
NASA Just for Kids - NASA's children's homepage. http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/
Star Child – NASA's learning Center for young astronomers. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
ARTSEDGE: The National Arts and Education Information Network - http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/ - established by the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), is a resource for educators and students of the arts.
NASA for Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html - A NASA resource developed especially for educators.
U.S. Department of Energy - http://www.energy.gov/ - The U.S. Department of Energy homepage.
U.S. Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov - The U.S. Department of Energy's source for statistical information. Links to Dept. of Energy statistical publications and reports.
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov - The EPA's mission, "to protect human safety and safeguard the natural environment"
The EPA's Search Your Community Retrievable information by zip code
Consumer Information Center (CIC): http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov - full-text versions of the federal consumer publications published by the U.S. General Services Administration.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) http://www.bep.treas.gov - Current and historical information about U.S. currency and stamps.
FBI Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room http://foia.fbi.gov/ - Access to FBI files released through the Freedom of Information Act.
Internal Revenue Service Tax Forms
The Internal Revenue Service's link to tax Forms and Publications http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/formspubs/index.html includes forms from 1992 to the present.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration http://www.noaa.gov - links to the National Weather Service
Climate Prediction Center - http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/ The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) short-term climate predictions and forecasts.
National Climatic Data Center - http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html - The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's archive of world weather data.
Significant Weather Events and Statistics - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/sigwx.shtml The National Weather Service's Office of Meteorology provides links to weather Climate Extremes , Natural Hazard Statistics, and Significant Weather Maps.
Worldwide Weather Events of 1991-1999 http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's worldwide weather facts.Tides Online - http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/tides_online.html -Current and historical tide data information.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance http://www.cfda.gov
The Catalog contains Federal domestic assistance programs available to: State and local governments of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. The Federal Assistance Program Retrieval System (FAPRS) http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.FIND_ASSISTANCE_PROGRAM_DYN.show is keyword, government agency searchable.
National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/funding/ The National Science Foundation funds research and education in science and engineering, through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The Foundation accounts for about 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
United States Department of Education - Student Financial Assistance http://www.ed.gov/finaid.html The Department administers several major student aid programs, including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans. Federal Student Financial Aid Homepage http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp Useful guide to information about grants, loans, work-study, and tax credits for education and how to apply for them.
U.S. Business Advisor http://www.business.gov/ Provides useful financial assistance page for business
Small Business Administration's Financing Your Business http://www.sba.gov/financing Provides information on everything a small business owner needs to know about financing.
National Atlas of the of the United States http://www.nationalatlas.gov/
This program allows you to select and display map layers of the United States.Envirofacts Maps on Demand http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/qmr.html - The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Envirofacts allows you to retrieve environmental information from EPA databases on Air, Chemicals, Facility Information, Grants/Funding, Hazardous Waste, Risk Management Plans, Superfund, Toxic Releases, and Water Permits, Drinking Water, Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence, and Drinking Water Microbial and Disinfection Byproduct Information.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) http://www.usgs.gov/ - Homepage of the United States Geological Survey.
PhotoFinder - United States Geological Survey Aerial Maps http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/Webglis/glisbin/finder_main.pl?dataset_name=NAPP -- A quick and easy way to find and order USGS National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) Photos. The photos are shot from airplanes flying at 20,000 feet. Each 9-by 9-inch photo (without enlargement) covers an area a bit more than 5 miles on a side.
Gateways / Executive Branch / Legislative Branch / Judicial Branch / Government Publications / Statistics / Arts & Leisure / Business / Education / Health / International / Miscellaneous / Energy/ Environmental Protection Agency/ IRS Tax Forms / Maps/ Weather/Grants & Financial Aid/ Table of Contents
http://www.camdencountylibrary.org/pathfinders/federal_government.htm
Questions and Comments:
Last updated July 21, 2009
Author: Teri Taylor