ACE 471: Family and Consumer Economic Policy
Legislative Sources
DATABASES:
ONLINE GUIDES:
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Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids is the educational component of
GPO Access, the Government Printing Office's (GPO) free online service of official
Government information from all three branches of the U.S. Government.
Ben's Guide provides information and activities specifically tailored for educators,
parents, and students
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How Our Laws Are Made
This is a detailed and scholarly explanation of the legislative process from the Thomas web
site.
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The Legislative Process: Tying It All
Together
This brief guide outlines the legislative process of the U.S. government.
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Federal Legislative, Regulatory and Judical
Law Sources
Designed for UIUC users, this guide facilitates access to legislative and regulatory
information through congressional megasites, Thomas, LexisNexis Congressional, and GPO Access.
Congressional Research
Congressional Research Service
Journals About Congress
For UIUC users only.
PRINT RESOURCES:
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Congressional Quarterly Almanac
Call no. 328.7305COQ
No source provides a better overview of congressional activity during a given
year.
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CQ Weekly Report
Call no. 328.7305COQA
Consult this publication when seeking more current information or more detail than the
Congressional Quarterly Almanac offers. Note that the internal indexes for this
title are printed on yellow pages.
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Congress and the Nation: A Review of Government and Politics
Call no. 320.973C76
This set, which is similar to the
Congressional Quarterly Almanac, covers congressional activity for the years 1945 to
1996.
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Congress A to Z, 3rd ed.
Call no. 328.73003C761999
Explains congressional processes in accessible prose.
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How Congress Works, 3rd ed.
Call no. 328.73H831998
This is another excellent introduction to congressional activities.
Regulatory Sources
There is a vast gulf between the passage of a piece of legislation and its implementation, and
the first step toward bridging that gap is the creation of regulations--the detailed instructions
needed in order to implement the requirements of law.
Regulations are written by the federal departments and agencies responsible for their
implementation. They are first published as proposed rules in the
Federal Register. Following a period
during which interested parties may recommend changes in the draft rules, they are revised,
published as final rules in the
Federal Register, and then incorporated in the
Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR).
The CFR is the body of all federal regulations currently in force. It consists of fifty
"titles," each of which is written by a particular executive department or agency. Title 45,
"Public Welfare," is the title that is most pertinent to this course. Its print version
consists of four volumes. Regulations on consumer protection are dispersed among several
titles. Both the print and online versions of the CFR are updated annually.
The Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations are searchable from the "Regulations" link
in LexisNexis Congressional, but search results can be hard to interpret. Another version
accessible only to UIUC users is available from
Hein Online. The most
recent print versions of both titles and their indexes are available in the Government Documents
Library.
Statistical Sources
GENERAL PRINT SOURCES
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American Statistics Index. Bethesda: Congressional Information Service,
1974-.
Call no. 317.3Am33sup.
Indexes statistical tables published by the U.S. government. Tables that are not
available on the web can be found on other media with the assistance of a government documents
librarian.
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Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of
the Census.
Call no. DOC.C3.134:
This annual publication is the primary statistical compendium of the U.S. government and,
for most purposes, the best place to start. Its index--which refers to
table numbers rather than page numbers--will lead you to roughly thirty tables on the
textile industry and trade. The
online version of this source is composed of
unwieldy pdf files, and most users prefer the hard copy.
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Statistical Reference Index. Bethesda: Congressional Information Service,
1983-.
Call no. 016.3173St2.
Indexes statistics issued by state governments in the United States and a wide variety of
private publishers. The tables themselves appear in a microfiche set located in the
Government Documents Library. Ask a government documents librarian for assistance.
GENERAL ONLINE SOURCES:
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UIUC Government Documents Library -
Statistics Resources Page
This is a listing of many online resources useful for statistics research, gathering, and
analysis.
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LexisNexis
Statistical
For UIUC users only.
This index is the online version of the
American Statistics Index, the
Index to International Statistics, and the
Statistical Reference Index. It indexes statistics published by the U.S. government,
state governments, international governmental organizations, and many private sources. Tables that
cannot be accessed online are usually available on microfiche in the Government Documents
Library.
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U.S. Census Bureau Website
This site contains more statistical data on the people of the United States than any other
site. Use the subject index at the top of the left-hand column to access data on everything
from child support to women.
SPECIALIZED PRINT SOURCES
- Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Program Participation, 1990-1992. By Martina Shea
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995.
Call no. DOC.C3.186:P-70/2/41
"This report uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine
the participation in various government assistance programs."
- Measuring the Effect of Benefits and Taxes on Income and Poverty: 1992. Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1993.
Call no. DOC.C3.186:P-60/186RD
Provides data on the income and poverty status of individuals, families, and households
receiving assistance through federal programs.
SPECIALIZED ONLINE SOURCES:
Illinois State Government Sources
Consumer Information
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Consumer Issues and Advocacy
Includes directories of consumer agencies as well as indices and lists of related government
publications.
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U.S. Consumer Gateway
Serves as a guide to informed consumerism. Provides information on banking, consumer
protection, credit, and investing.
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Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC)
This site from the Federal Consumer Information Center is in a Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) format, guiding users to information about federal services and information. It also gives a
phone number to call if your question is not answered on the site.
Program Evaluation
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Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
CBO aims to provide the Congress with the objective, timely, nonpartisan analyses needed for
economic budget decisions and with the information and estimates required for the Congressional
budget process. CBO's chief responsibility under the Budget Act is to help the budget
committees with the matters under their jurisdiction--principally the Congressional budget
resolution and its enforcement. Links to
CBO Publications.
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Government Accountability Office
The GAO performs audits and evaluations of government programs and activities. While
some GAO reviews are required by law, the majority are undertaken through the request of a
congressional committee.
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Congressional Research Services Index on CD-ROM (see the icon at Computer Workstation #1)
Includes bibliographic records for CRS studies made available as part of the
Major Studies & Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service microfiche
set. In response to requests from Congress, the CRS issues publications that include
background studies, pro and con arguments, in-depth policy and legislative analysis, and
legislative histories on every conceivable topic of interest to Congress. Only a small number
of these documents are available on the Internet. The Government Documents Library's holdings
for the microfiche set can be found in cabinet #21, which is labeled UPA (University Publications
of America).
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Green Book 2004: Background Material
and Data on Major Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means
A standard reference book on social policy, the Green Book consists of detailed program
descriptions and statistical appendices. It is also available in print
(DOC.Y4.W36:10-4/). 1996, 1998, 2000, also available online.
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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The Catalog is a compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which
provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It is also available in print
(DOC.PREX2.20:).
Scholarly Articles
Social Work and Social Policy
How to Evaluate Websites
Online Guides & Tutorials:
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