University of 
Michigan Documents Center

Executive Agency Research

Activities | Books/Articles | Biographies | Budgets | Citations
Directories | Laws | Lobbyists | President | Regulations

Directory Search

Last updated July 26, 2003

Directories

Agency Directories

    • Bush Cabinet
      • Nominations to the cabinet of George W. Bush, 2001
      • Includes confirmation progress, biographies, and links to confirmation hearings

    • United States Government Manual, 1995/96+ (National Archives)
      • Directory of agencies and officials, primarily in the Executive Branch
      • Describes agency activity and cites legislative authority
      • Searchable by keyword
      • Browsable since 1997/98
      • The paper copy is located at the Documents Desk as JK 421 .A3

    • Federal Yellow Book
      • Most complete list of agency addresses and phone numbers
      • Updated quarterly
      • Doc.Desk JK 6 .F2931 with older editions in the Graduate Library stacks

Agency Internet Sites

    • Duke University Documents Hotlist
      • Alphabetical list of agencies, titles, and subjects available on the web
      • Focus is on federal government but includes foreign and international agencies

    • Federal Agency Web Sites (LSU)
      • Cleancut alphabetical listing of federal agency web sites
      • Includes search engine

    • Government by Sterby
      • Comprehensive links to all branches of the federal government
      • Especially good for independent and quasi-governmental agencies

Indexes

    • Google's Uncle Sam
      • Keyword index to federal government web sites with a .gov or .mil extension

    • HotBot
      • Advanced Searching permits Boolean combination of words with a .gov or .mil extension
      • Sample: prescription drugs [Boolean phrase] and .mil or .gov [domain]



Activities of Agency

Congressional Hearings


Congress holds oversight hearings on agencies and the programs they administer. Hearings are also held on the agency's requested appropriations and new programs being considered.

    • Congressional Universe (UMich Only) [Web]
      • Indexes committee publications: hearings (1970+), prints (1993+), and reports (1989+)
      • Published Hearings accessed through Congressional Publications
        • Hearings indexed by subject, keyword, committee, date, and person testifying
        • Advanced Search Strategies option under keyword searching permits numerous proximity indicators
          • w/p (words within paragraph); w/n (words within a number; w/s (words within sentence)
          • Example: china w/10 (world trade organization or most favored nation)
          • Additional protocols at bottom of keyword searching page
        • Record provides summary of testimony, Superintendent of Documents Number for the Documents Center's paper copy, microfiche number for the Documents Center's microfiche, and a link to selected full text testimony since 1988
      • Testimony provides the full text of selected testimony and prepared witness statements
        • Indexed by committee, person testifying, date, and keyword
        • More current than the Published Hearings
        • Published Hearings have much more material
      • See Congressional Universe Research Guide or Congressional Universe Quick Guide for further details

    • Congressional Hearings via GPO Access
      • Selected hearings beginning 1995 also available free to the public via the Government Printing Office
      • Arranged by committee; no index
      • Text and pdf formats

    • Congressional Hearings on the Web
      • Lists government agencies and Congressional committees with selected testimony on the web

    • Internet Search Engines
      • Political Information
        • Search for hearings mounted by government web sites as well as those of individuals and interest groups
        • Sample search: medicare and +testimony and +hearing
      • Google's Uncle Sam
        • Indexes text of government web sites
        • Sample search: medicare and testimony and hearing
        • You will retrieve at least some false drops, including the legislative status on THOMAS and hearings announcements

Historical Hearings Sources

    • Congressional Universe, 1789-1972 (UMich Only)
      • Separate service available on the main page
      • Indexes hearings, committee prints, reports, and documents
      • All publications available on microfiche in Documents Center
    • MIRLYN
      • Indexes hearings by keyword, 1789 to within five years of present
      • Provides microfiche number for the Documents Center

Executive Branch Web Sites

    • Duke University Documents Hotlist
      • Alphabetical list of agencies, titles, and subjects available on the web
      • Focus is on federal government but includes foreign and international agencies

    • Federal Agency Web Sites (LSU)
      • Cleancut alphabetical listing of federal agency web sites
      • Includes search engine

    • Government by Sterby
      • Comprehensive links to all branches of the federal government
      • Especially good for independent and quasi-governmental agencies

Indexes

    • Google's Uncle Sam
      • Keyword index to federal government web sites with a .gov or .mil extension

    • HotBot
      • Advanced Searching permits Boolean combination of words with a .gov or .mil extension
      • Sample: prescription drugs [Boolean phrase] and .mil or .gov [domain]



Books and Articles

    • Search MIRLYN
    • Search MCAT under subject for books about agency
      • Sample search: s=United States Dept. of Energy
    • Search WILS or PAIS (UMich only) for articles about agency
    • Search DCAT (Detroit Area Library Network) in REMOTE for complete list of publications by agency that may not be listed in MCAT
      • Consult Documents Center staff to locate the material

  • General Accounting Office Reports to Congress:
    • Reports on government resource management
    • GAO Blue Book Reports via GPO Access
      • Full text of "Reports to Congress" on government resource management, October 1, 1994+
    • Printed reports
      • Use National Economic, Social and Environmental Data Bank CD-ROM in Documents Center to identify earlier reports, 1980+ (eg. MWD 87-62)
      • Ask for assistance in locating copies in paper (HJ 10 .R44), GPO microfiche (Micro-F X277), or American Statistics Index microfiche

  • National Journal [Web and Library]
    • Weekly periodical on government agencies; includes major legislative issues
    • Full text, 1977+, available under Inside Washington from Congressional Universe (UMich Only)
    • Also in Graduate Library as JK 1.N28 with current issues in Documents Center--Docs.Ref.

  • ProQuest (UMich Only)
    • Research Library indexes some 2300 journals in all fields since the 1980s and provides the full text of many since the 1990s (marked by a full-page symbol)
    • Includes popular and scholarly titles, such as Comparative Politics, Governing, International Political Science Review, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, and World Politics
    • Journals indexed by author, title, keyword, periodical, and date
    • Sample search: united states and energy and department
    • Articles may be marked for downloading
    • Text in HTML and image formats
    • Replaces the Core Journals Project, which printed articles from MIRLYN on request

  • Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin (UMich Only)
    • Subject index to books, articles, and government documents on politics and economics since 1972 in Western European languages
    • Government documents include United States, United Nations, League of Nations, and State Governments
    • Sample subject search: united states and energy and department
    • There are also paper versions (English, 1915+, Z 7163 .P98 and foreign, 1968+, Z 7164 .E2 P96)



Biographies of Officials

Traditional Biographical Sources

    • Academic Universe (UMich Only)
      • Name can be searched under General News Topics for newspaper or magazine articles
      • Articles and biographical directories are available under Reference/Biographical Information
        • Fill in the first name and last name boxes
        • Use the Additional Search Terms box to indicate proximity, e.g. Colin pre/2 Powell

    • Federal Staff Directory
      • Standard biographies of Executive Branch officials
      • Doc.Cen. JK 723 .E9 F29-Ref. Desk

    • Presidents of the United States (IPL/Summers)
      • Extensive web site with pages for each President, Washington to Clinton
      • Picture, biographies, election results, first ladies, cabinets, highlights of administration, historical documents, and links to related Internet sites
      • Special attention paid to links describing historical events and biographies of cabinet members

    • Who's Who in the Federal Government (U.Memphis)
      • Links to biographies of the cabinet and heads of independent agencies
      • Includes links to Congressional committee chairs

Congressional Nomination Hearings

    • Congressional Universe (UMich Only)
      • Indexes published hearings (1970+) by subject, keyword, committee, and date
      • Access through Congressional Publications
      • Provides an abstract of publications located in the Documents Center in paper and/or microfiche format
      • Includes the full text of selected testimony beginning 1988 with the search box found under Testimony



Budgets

Budget

    • Budget Process (Columbia University)
      • Annotated outline of the budget process with the titles of printed documents and links to those on the web
      • Background information, executive activity, legislative activity, the budget calendar, and news
      • Some web links go to a Columbia server; titles such as Congressional Quarterly must be accessed separately through the Documents Center's web page rather than Columbia's

    • Federal Budget FY96+
      • Searchable by agency; gives last full year expenditures, current year expenditures, and budget request
      • Most current paper copy located in the Documents Center as HJ 2051 .A59--Stat.Ref. with older issues in Grad Library Stacks
      • Web site also includes Historical Tables of the United States Budget
        • Budgets by agency and function from 1940 to a five-year projection
        • Doc.Cen. HJ 9 .U561--Stat.Ref.

Appropriations

    • Current Status of Appropriations Bills (Library of Congress)
      • Chart by subject lists bill number, House and Senate committee and subcommittee approval, any reports as well as the conference report, and public law number
      • Handy access for current bills being considered
      • GPO Access links to similar information in list form
    • Appropriations Legislation (GPO Access)
      • Links to the full text of reports and appropriations laws beginning with FY97
      • Text and pdf formats

Appropriations Hearings

    • Congressional Universe (UMich Only)
      • Indexes published hearings (1970+) by subject, keyword, committee, and date
      • Provides an abstract of publications located in the Documents Center in paper and/or microfiche format
      • Includes the full text of selected testimony beginning 1988



Laws and Regulations

Laws in Force

    • United States Code (via Congressional Universe - UMich Only) [Web]
      • Search existing laws in force by keyword or U.S. Code citation
      • Updated within days of the passage of a new law
      • Provides U.S. Code text as well as references to bill and public law text
      • Advanced Search Strategies option under keyword searching permits numerous proximity indicators
        • w/p (words within paragraph); w/n (words within a number; w/s (words within sentence)
        • Example: foreign student* w/s income tax*
        • Additional protocols at bottom of keyword searching page

    • United States Code (via Cornell Law School) [Web]
      • Text of all laws in force
      • Searchable by popular title of law, title and section of the U.S. Code, or keyword
      • Currently the best interface

    • United States Code (via House Internet Law Library) [Web]
      • Subject approach to all laws in force
      • Several keyword search options as well as specific title and section
      • For Boolean searching, use "adj" between words to indicate a phrase (e.g. medicare and home adj health adj services)
      • Summaries of selected subsequent laws
      • Text of selected historic statutes
      • Paper copy of U.S. Code in Doc.Cen. KF 62 .A2


    New Laws

    • THOMAS, 1973+
      • Includes the full text of Public Laws
      • Search by bill number, subject, sponsor, or keyword and status "Public Law"

    • Public Laws, 100th Congress, 1988+ (via Congressional Universe - UMich Only)
      • Search for full text of laws by keyword, bill number, Public Law Number, and Statutes-at-Large number
      • Provides full text and bill tracking report

    • U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News
      • Monthly pamphlet with the full text of laws; cumulates annually
      • Doc.Cen. KF 48.A32 U58--Ref.

Code of Federal Regulations

    • Congressional Universe (UMich Only)
      • Indexes current Executive Branch and independent agency regulations in force by keyword, agency, and statutory authority
      • Updated every two weeks
      • Advanced Search Strategies option under keyword searching permits numerous proximity indicators
        • w/p (words within paragraph); w/n (words within a number; w/s (words within sentence)
        • Example: endangered species w/10 national park*
        • Additional protocols at bottom of keyword searching page
      • See Congressional Universe Research Guide or Congressional Universe Quick Guide for further details

    • Code of Federal Regulations (Cornell)
      • Text is browsable by title and searchable by subject or title/section number

    • Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives)
      • Search CFR by keyword or a combination of title, part, and page
      • Corresponding paper copy in Documents Center as JK 416.A5-Ref


New and Proposed Regulations

    • Unified Agenda
      • Detailed information on executive agency regulatory plans for the next six months
      • Sample search: "prescription drugs"
      • Data includes agency's regulatory priority, the extent of an unfunded mandate, and number of government levels involved
      • Legal authority for the regulation, summary, planned comment period

    • Federal Register via Congressional Universe (UMich only)
      • New regulations, proposed regulations, notices of grants and agency hearings since 1980
      • Approach by date, agency, type of information, keyword and CFR citation
      • Paper copy in Documents Center for past two years as J 83 .A2

    • Federal Register via GPO Access
      • Keyword searching or browsing by year
      • Best public source of Federal Register



Lobby Groups



President

Biographies

    • Biographical Information (Sunsite/UNC)
      • Links to web information about U.S. presidents beginning with George Washington
      • Usually includes biographies; may include links to schools attended and speeches
      • Part of the larger President web site which includes listings of Presidential libraries and information about the First Ladies

    • Presidents of the United States (IPL/Summers)
      • Extensive web site with pages for each President, Washington to Clinton
      • Picture, biographies, election results, first ladies, cabinets, highlights of administration, historical documents, and links to related Internet sites
      • Special attention paid to links describing historical events and biographies of cabinet members

Directives and Executive Orders

    • Presidential Decisions and Directives
      • Definition
        • Per George Caldwell (Library of Congress, ret.) and Mary Brewer (Arkansas State Library)
        • Presidential Directives given different names by different Presidents:
          • National Security Action Memoranda (Kennedy and Johnson)
          • National Security Decision Directives (Reagan)
          • National Security Decision Memoranda (Nixon and Ford)
          • National Security Directives (Bush)
          • Presidential Directives (Carter)
          • Presidential Decision Directives (Clinton)
      • Most are not published
      • Selected directives beginning 1993 may be searched at the White House Web Site under "Retrieve Documents via Search Index" and designating the type of document as "directive"
      • The best on-line listing of intelligence-related directives is currently Intelligence Documents (Federation of American Scientists)
      • For web information about the directives search Lycos

    • Presidential Executive Orders, 1993 to present

    • Presidential Executive Orders, Pre-1993
      • Code of Federal Regulations, Title 3
        • Annual compilation of Executive Orders and Proclamations
        • JK 416 .A5 1949 Title 3 [year] with latest edition in the Documents Center--Ref.
      • Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations, 1789-1983
        • Index: Doc.Cen. KF 40 .A5511--Ref.
        • Corresponding microfiche also located in the Documents Center
      • John F. Kennedy Executive Orders
        • Text of 214 Executive Orders issued 1961-63
        • Access by number, date, title, and keyword searching
        • Scanned by Maria Schieda for University of Michigan School of Information and the Documents Center web site
      • Intelligence Documents (Federation of American Scientists) is the best on-line listing of Executive Orders related to intelligence activities

Speeches

    • Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents (Columbia University)
      • Full text of inaugural addresses beginning with George Washington

    • Presidents of the United States (IPL/Summers)
      • Extensive web site with pages for each President, Washington to Clinton
      • Picture, biographies, election results, first ladies, cabinets, highlights of administration, historical documents, and links to related Internet sites
      • Special attention paid to links describing historical events and biographies of cabinet members

    • Statements of Administration Policy on Appropriations and Non-Appropriations Bills
      • Brief statements of the President's position on selected bills beginning 2001
      • Arranged by Congress and bill number

    • Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1993+
      • Full text of Presidential executive orders, speeches, press conferences, names of nominees
      • Phrases should be in parentheses and Boolean operators capitalized (e.g. "affirmative action" AND "college admissions")
      • Table of contents search (contents AND "july 28, 1997)

    • White House Web Site - Current
      • White House tours, information about First Family, key Presidential documents
      • Access may be slow at peak times or without an ethernet connection

    • White House Web Site - Clinton
      • Four versions of the White House web site through Dec. 30, 2000
      • Link to the Clinton Presidential Center includes plans for a physical facility

Related Web Pages

    • Historical Documents
      • Numerous declassified publications, including Presidential letters and tapes

    • President
      • Includes additional sources for Presidential speeches



Citation Guides

Political Process

    • Legislation is a highly political process, despite this logical outline
    • Public Policy Matrix is a chart summarizing the legislative process and sources for political information about the process



Navigation Map


Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center
The University of Michigan Library
Graphics by Barbara Perles
Send comments and suggestions to AskUs

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/execres.html

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