InfoGuides: POSC 3303: United States Congress: Introduction

Purpose of this Guide

The information in these pages will help you:

find information about the US Congress in library databases
find articles in scholarly journals about the US Congress
find reference sources to define and explain concepts in your textbook
find information about members of Congress for the course project
contact librarians for research assistance

Videos on the US Congress

Congress: How it Works takes you step-by-step through the various functions of Congress (55 minutes).

Congress: A Day in the Life of a Representative explores the world of Congress through the eyes of the representatives we elect (29 minutes).

Evolution of the Congress examines how the legislative branch of the government has evolved, exploring the intended purpose of Congress and what challenges it faces in trying to remain an essential part of our democracy (29 minutes).

Recommended Library Databases

Gale Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Indexing of more than 11,000 peer-reviewed journals and full text of more than 8,000, with coverage in such subject areas such as, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
Fully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database with ongoing comprehensive coverage of U.S. statutory materials and more than 2,300 scholarly journals, all of the world’s constitutions, all U.S. treaties, federal regulations, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, and access to the full text of federal case law.

Also includes specialized collections focused on:
- Criminal Justice & Criminology
- Early English Law
- Foregin Relations of the U.S.
- History of Supreme Court Nominations
- Gun Regulation in America
- JFK Assiassination
- Presidential Impeachments
- Slavery in America
- Texas Legal History
- Women and the Law
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
** Expanded access continues as we work to implement a new contract for JSTOR's new all-access model, which will provide access to all archival journals and primary source content. **

Back volumes for 2,890 journals from the very first issue but usually excluding the most current 2-5 years, though almost 100 with coverage through the most recent issue. General subject areas include art & architecture, Asian studies, botany, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, language & literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, population studies, sociology and statistics.
Format: Majority full-text; some additional full-text via link resolver, Coverage: Dates vary with beginning date of journal., Truncation and Wildcard: + and ----, Search Tips: Boolean commands are supported. Use quotation marks to search keywords as a phrase.
Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Westlaw simplifies your starting point for legal research. Try Westlaw's new interface for searching and accessing case law, US Code Annotated, statutes, court rules, regulations, and secondary sources including law reviews and journals as well as reference materials.

Ask A Librarian

Having trouble? Ask!

Use our 24/7 Live Chat located on the bottom right of library websites.
Call (806) 651-2215 during library hours
Use "Email a Librarian" to ask a question. Most responses within 1 business day.
Stop by the first floor Research & Access Desk anytime the library is open