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Political Science

Subject specialist
Dr. Robert V.Labaree
labaree@usc.edu
(213)-740-5824

Research Help

  • Research consultation
    • Dr. Robert V. Labaree (213)-740-5824
    • Reference Desk (213)-740-1768
  • Make an appointment with Dr. Labaree, email him at labaree@usc.edu
  • Electronic assistance: Ask-A-Librarian

Research Guides

Key Databases

Below are links to databases and electronic resources that support the study of political science and its related sub-disciplines. For a more comprehensive list, go here.

  • CQ Electronic Library -- provides full text access to the CQ Weekly, known as the pre-eminent resource for Congress-watchers who need nonpartisan information on Capitol Hill, and the CQ Researcher, which provides analysis of current public policy topics.
  • LEXIS/NEXIS Academic Universe -- a database of full text online news, business, financial, legal, medical, biographical, government and domestic and international newspaper resources. Updated daily.
  • LEXIS/NEXIS Congressional Universe -- indexes and abstracts a broad spectrum of Congressional publications, including hearings (testimony), committee prints, reports, documents, and full text of bills and public laws.
  • LEXIS/NEXIS State Capital Universe -- provides comprehensive access to state bills and laws, constitutions, proposed and enacted, regulations, newspapers of record articles about legislative issues affecting the states
  • National Journal Group's Policy Central -- provides full text access to news and information about Congress, including bills status reports, an archive of campaign ads, daily analysis and commentary on Congress, campaigns, and the media, and a fully searchable database of the latest national opinion polls on campaigns, national figures, and key issues.
  • Public Affairs Information Services [PAIS] -- indexes selective subjects and bibliographic access to periodicals, books, hearings, reports, gray literature, government publications, Internet resources, and other publications from 120 countries.

Scholarly Web Sites

Below is a selective list of web sites that support the study of political science and its sub-disciplines. Emphasis is placed on linking to directories and resource guides that direct you to additional scholarly sources.

California Election Information

  • @LA Politics: Elections Information -- a comprehensive and well-maintained resource directory of links to general politics and current election information focused on Los Angeles and Southern California.
  • Rough & Tumble -- a clearinghouse of links to newspaper stories focused on California politics and public policy. Updated daily with an archive of links maintained for about two weeks.
  • Statewide Database: the Redistricting Database for the State of California -- a database that includes voting, registration, and geographic datasets for for statewide elections beginning in 1992 as well as coverage of redistricting court cases, redistricting news for all states, and other resources such as research on redistricting criteria, initiative language, and maps.

Current Election Information

  • 2008 Elections -- an up-to-date and thorough directory of information related to the upcoming elections. Excellent place to begin a search for information on the campaign season, the candidates, and the special interest groups attempting to influence the outcome.
  • Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) -- a non-profit organization that serves as a resource for grassroots advocates and uses the ballot measure process as a tool for achieving progressive policy goals and political gains.
  • ElectionGuide -- provides information on national elections, breaking news on election-related laws and political developments, and election results and voter turnout from around the world.
  • electionline.org -- a project of the Pew Center on the States, this is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy website providing up-to-the-minute news and analysis on election reform and is a leading resource to learn about, discuss, and debate election administration issues.
  • Politics1 -- comprehensive, non-partisan clearinghouse of campaign and election information. Includes a list of political news sources, links to leading groups representing all sides of the current policy issues, and a list of candidate web sites and a directory of other resources devoted to the 2008 race.
  • VoteGopher.com -- a non-partisan clearinghouse of information for comparing Democratic and Republican positions on twenty-five key domestic and international issues.
  • Voting America -- provides cinematic and interactive maps showing how Americans voted in presidential elections at the county level, from the beginning of the modern party system in 1840 to the present.

Directories and Resource Guides

  • Congressional Research Service Reports -- a collection of digitized reports made available by the University of Maryland, Thurgood Marshall Law Library. Focus of the collection is on homeland security and health care policy but the site includes links to many other topics as well as other CRS collections on the Internet.
  • IPSAportal Top 300 Web Sites for Political Science -- provides access to the top web sites as evaluated and selected by scholars within the International Political Science Association.
  • LegiStorm -- as a non-partisan company, LegiStorm is dedicated to providing a variety of important information about the US Congress, including a database of congressional staff salaries and a comprehensive database of all privately financed trips taken by members of Congress and congressional staffers. Also tracks the latest happenings on the House and Senate floors, as well as upcoming floor debates and committee hearings.
  • LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory -- a comprehensive and frequently updated web site directory of federal agencies in the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches as well as all independent councils, boards, committeess, and commisions. Links can be browsed hierarchically or alphabetically.
  • Money in State Politics -- a searchable database developed by The National Institute on Money in State Politics dedicated to accurate, comprehensive, and unbiased documentation and research on campaign finance at the state level. Database includes over 12 million records.
  • Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources -- up-to-date and comprehensive directory of scholarly resources for students and researchers in political science.
  • University of Michigan United States Politics Resources -- comprehensive directory of resources arranged under broad subject categories covering all aspects of politics in the United States. A good place to start your research.

Profile of the Collection

The primary location for all materials supporting political science research is the Von KleinSmid Center Library. The central focus of the department and chief interests of the faculty are encompassed in the following areas of teaching and research: urban politics and public policy; American political behavior and institutions; American public opinion and research methods; minorities and women in politics; contemporary political philosophy; public and constitutional law; the American presidency; international organization and administration; foreign security policy; California politics, and, human rights law. The primary emphasis is on contemporary post-Cold War political affairs. In certain areas, such as comparative politics and political theory, materials dealing with earlier periods of time are acquired. With the general exception of textbooks and dissertations, scholarly materials of all types are collected, including monographs [books], serials, microforms, government documents, and digital resources. The collecting efforts in domestic political affairs emphasize material either published in or translated into English. Materials in other languages are purchased very selectively. For a more comprehensive overview and analysis of the current collection policy, GO HERE [pdf].

Instruction Services for Faculty

To schedule a class on how to effectively use the library's services and resources and/or to schedule tours of the Von KleinSmid Center Library, e-mail Dr. Labaree at labaree@usc.edu or use the link below:

Last Updated: 7/31/08