Federal Government
General Federal Government Resources
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (1774-present) – find a particular official from past or present by first name, last name, position held and/or state!
- CapitolHearings.org @ C-SPAN – live audio feeds for various Senate hearings.
- Congress Guide @ C-Span Online
- Elected Officials @ Congress.Org – locate your Congressional representatives, also info on honchos and addresses for federal government agencies, from the White House on down.
- Federal Consumer Information Center – think of it as Uncle Sam’s version of the Yellow Pages.
- Federal Government @ GovEngine.com
- Federal Government Agencies Database @ Duke – descriptive info with direct links to each agency’s website.
- FederalNewsRadio.com – “Internet-Radio for Feds!” Not good for weather or traffic reports but handy for getting the official federal DJ perspective from your national government.
- FedNet – online broadcast coverage of the United States Congress, offers both real-time and archival audio feeds.
- FedNet Archives – extensive audio archive of Senate and House debates and committee meetings, listed in inverse chronological order
- FedWorld Information Network – searchable, comprehensive guide to federal government databases.
- FedStats – maintained by the Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, provides easy one-stop access to the full range of statistics and information produced by over 70 different federal agencies for public use; includes:
- Principal Statistical Agencies
- All Federal Agencies with Statistical Programs
- A-Z List of Statistical Topics – pick your topic, find
your stats! - MapStats – statistical profiles of states, counties, and more.
- Forms.gov – “one-stop-shopping” for the federal forms most used by the public, with tools for locating forms via number, agency and/or alphabetical index.
- GovBenefits.gov – online screening tool to help users identify potential eligibility for hundreds of federal (and state) government programs; includes handy breakout of benefit programs by category.
- GovSpeak – A Guide to Government Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Hill Directory @ Roll Call – one-stop shop for getting info on current scheduled hearings, background and votes of members of Congress, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail, etc.
- LEP.gov: Let Everyone Participate – resources for federal government agencies and community organizations addressing language accessibility for those with limited English proficiency (LEP).
- Library of Congress – one word: staggering.
- Search the Library of Congress Catalog
- Thomas @ Library of Congress – extensive federal legislative resources.
- Mega Links to Federal Government and Law
- Federal Government Agencies @ LSU
- Federal Resources @ FindLaw
- Federal Web Locator @ Chicago-Kent
- United States Federal Government Sites @ Internet Legal Resources Guide
- Uncle Sam @ Google – one of the very best search engines now offers front-end for locating federal government websites
- USA.gov – you gotta give ‘em credit, it’s a daunting task, and these folks keep working on better ways to organize massive amounts of online federal resources in one massive directory. Includes:
- USA.gov en Español – extensive Spanish-language gateway for locating federal government online resources.
- Federal Government Departments and Agencies
- Reference Center and General Government – useful topical directory for locating varied federal agency info and resources.
- Specialized Target Audience Sites, including:
- U.S. Government Manual: 2008-2009 Edition – rudimentary information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and quasi-official agencies with federal sponsorship (e.g., the Legal Services Corporation).
Specific Federal Agencies
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Food and Nutrition (FNS) – source for info on Food Stamps, WIC and other nutrition programs.
- Census Bureau
- Census 2000 Gateway – top-level access point for latest census data, includes:
- State-by-State Demographic Profiles
- State and County Quick Facts
- American FactFinder – tables and maps of Census 2000 data for all geographies to the block level.
- Search – by keyword or geography.
- Census 2000 Supplementary Surveys – covering national and state estimates on income, poverty, education, and other topics.
- Subjects Index
- Census Bureau Newsroom – useful top-level page for locating current U.S. Census press releases, tip sheets for use by the media, special “facts for features,” historical data on racial and ethnic groups, and more.
- Data Access Tools
- Poverty Population and Related Data
- 1990 Decennial Census
- Census 2000 Gateway – top-level access point for latest census data, includes:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Department of Education
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Federal Judicial Center (FJC)
- Federal Judiciary – solid starting point for locating administrative and institutional info for all federal courts.
- General Accounting Office (GAO)
- GAO Reports – direct source for reports and testimony, listed by:
- Date: Today’s Reports – lists the files most recently posted, in reverse chronological order.
- Recent GAO Reports – option to arrange by date published, title or topic.
- Find GAO Reports – locate reports back to 1975.
- Advanced Search for GAO Reports.
- Search Help for searching GAO.
- GAO Reports – direct source for reports and testimony, listed by:
- Government Printing Office ~ GPO Access – - the mother lode of government documents online, the backbone of the Federal Depository Library Program, provides access to full-text government databases, including searches of the Federal Register, U.S. Code, Congressional bills, and other government publications.
- A-Z Resource List
- Advanced Search via USA.gov
- Congressional Committee Materials Online
- Search Congressional Record: Main Page – searchable database for 1995 et seq.
- Search Tips for searching Congressional Record.
- 2004 Green Book – search-engine front end to most recent and earlier versions of the “Green Book” (available in text or PDF format), longtime favorite of welfare wonks, with descriptive overviews as well as statistical and historical data on a wide variety of social and economic topics, including Social Security, employment, earnings, welfare, child support, health insurance, the elderly, families with children, poverty and taxation.
- Search examples for using the Green Book.
- Also available in PDF format (but without the search function) from the House Committee on Ways and Means website.
- Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Agencies in Health and Human Services (HHS) – direct links to all twelve sub-agencies within the humongous HHS monolith.
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – includes links to state child support programs.
- Administration on Aging (AOA)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA)
- HealthFinder – links to government, non-profit and consumer info on health issues.
- National Institutes of Health
- Office for Civil Rights
- Office of Family Assistance – oversees implementation of TANF / AFDC / JOBS programs in wake of federal welfare reform.
- Poverty Levels and Guidelines
- 2005 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines – current version of the federal administrative guidelines used to determine poverty eligibility.
- Frequently Asked Questions Related to the Poverty Guidelines and Poverty
- Poverty Guidelines, Research and Measurement – ready source for current and historical data on federal poverty guidelines and related info.
- HHS Poverty Guidelines since 1982 – historical figures and Federal Register references for prior federal poverty guidelines.
- See also, What is the difference between poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines? @ Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
- See also, Poverty Population and Related Data @ Census Bureau; Poverty and Family Budgets @ Economic Policy Institute; and Poverty and Income Distribution Statistical Reports @ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de EE.UU. – Spanish-language version of undeniably resource-rich but often bewildering U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website.
- HUD Net Locator – convenient links for locating HUD employees, key staff, local offices (by state and city!), 800 numbers, and nine different HUD info clearinghouses.
- HUD News – “top of the fold” news section at HUD.
- Online Library – online repository for HUD laws, regs, policy directives, etc.
- Search HUD Site
- Site Index
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – it’s April 14th, do you know where your tax forms are?
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Compliance Assistance
- Summary of Major DOL Laws
- Find It! By Audience – breaks out DOL online services into 12+ categories, including:
- Social Security Online – entry point for the Social Security Administration (SSA) on the Web, including:
- SSA Multi-Language Gateway – currently offers program info in 15 languages other than English, includes:
- Seguro Social Información en Español (Social Security Information in Spanish)
- Glosario Español-Inglés de Terminología del Seguro Social (English-Spanish Glossary of Social Security Administration Terminology)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Understanding Supplemental Security Income
- Office of Hearings and Appeals
- HALLEX (Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law Manual) – policy and procedural guidance for processing and adjudicating claims at the Hearing, Appeals Council and Civil Actions levels.
- Program Policy Information Site
- Representing Clients
- Representative Payment Program
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Social Security Benefit Information Publications
- Social Security Forms
- Social Security Handbook
- Site Map | Index – good place to start if you’re having trouble locating a particular SSA online resource.
- SSA Multi-Language Gateway – currently offers program info in 15 languages other than English, includes: