Research Guides: Legislative Research: Directories and Background Information

Directories

Directories are useful in identifying principal government agencies and the names of people who work in them.

Leadership Connect This link opens in a new window
Leadership Connect, formerly Leadership Directories, provides contact information for the leaders of major United States government, business, professional, and nonprofit organizations.

Washington Information Directory Online Edition This link opens in a new window
A single source for locating contacts (including brief descriptions) in U.S. government and non-governmental organizations and international organizations

The titles listed below are among the most frequently consulted works:

Almanac of American Politics
"The definitive guide to understanding the forces that shape American politics"
Congress and the Nation
Published since 1945, this is "the definitive resource for researchers studying the actions of the U.S. Congress."

CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
Provides information on historical and current issues in American politics and government, including: Political Handbook of the World; Washington Information Directory; Guides to Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Presidency, U.S. Elections and Political Campaigns; Historic Documents (1972-2017); Vital Statistics on American Politics; and Supreme Court Yearbook.
CQ Vital Statistics on American Politics This link opens in a new window
Covers a wide range of topics in American politics, such as elections, Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, the media, campaign finances, policy, and a variety of issues related to state and local government. Includes rankings of public officials' reputations, content analyses of media coverage, and public opinion data about policy issues. Sources of material include reference volumes, government publications, political science journals, monographs, and press releases.