Government
The United States Federal Government is one of the best places to find solid factual information. The government is the primary gatherer of statistical information and much of it has been placed on the web. The government has also designated the web as the primary dispenser of government news. The legislative initiatives and federal statues are found here as are the regulations which are derived from the statutes. These are the operating manuals of the agencies that administer the statutes. The government is a prodigious producer of reports, some of which are available at government web sites.
Many of the government sites require special software for viewing. The software is Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is available for free and may be downloaded directly from Adobe.com.
Executive Branch
The White House
The White House web page links you to web pages that deal with the executive branch. The information links found here include: the president's office, the vice president's office and the first lady's office, White House news and press releases. There are also links to executive orders.
Agencies
Department of Agriculture
The department deals with issues surrounding the food supply and hunger. It supports the farm and forest industries and deal with rural development. It works to develop global markets for United States agricultural markets. Information accessible from this site includes regulations and links to the food and nutrition service, which administers the food stamp program. The National Agriculture Statistical Service provides a variety of information pertaining to crops, farm labor, state agricultural statistics, etc.
National Agricultural Library
Home of the AGRICOLA database, which covers equine and environmental topics.
Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce deals with the economic growth and development of the nation, issues surrounding job creation and the promotion of international commerce. This department is one of the primary gatherers of statistical information in the United States. It is also the primary vendor for government scientific and technical reports.
Bureau of the Census
The primary source for social, demographic and economic information, the Census Bureau is responsible for surveys of various economic sectors, retail, trade, manufacturing, wholesale and transportation. Many of the surveys are available for free at this site.
Bureau of Economic Analysis
The bureau is the provider of reports on the status of the nation's economy. The Gross Domestic Product is their best known product is available at this site. The bureau also produces international reports primarily dealing with US exports. There is a lot of statistical data to be found at this site.
STAT-USA
http://www.stat-usa.gov/stat-usa.html
This is a highly publicized site but much of the information must be purchased. A subscription to the site is $150/ year: individual reports may be purchased from $1.00-$10.00 per report. The site is especially valuable for international information.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Detailed weather information including weather advisories. The site also contains fishing and fisheries information and regulations.
US Patent and Trademark Office
The Patent and Trademark Office administers laws and regulations pertaining to trademarks and patents. This is an extensive text based site with massive amounts of information pertaining to trademarks and patents.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The mission of this institute is to work to develop and apply measurement and standards.
FedWorld - National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
This is a searchable database of bibliographic information on government technical and scientific reports. The full reports are available for purchase.
Department of Defense
The department mission is to "provide military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of the country." The site is very large and to a great extent provids the military's point of view. There are wonderful links to historical military information, to military libraries, veterans' information and military publications.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Department of the Army
Army Corp of Engineers
Department of the Air Force
Department of the Navy
Coast Guard
United States Marine Corps
Department of Education
The home page of the department contains links to a variety of resources. The department's major initiatives, goals and objectives are found here. There are direct links to educational resources and information on financial aid and direct loans.
Ask ERIC
The site contains the ERIC databases which provides bibliographic access to reports submitted to the clearinghouses of the Department of Education and to education journals. The full text of the reports must be purchased or ordered from the library.
Department of Energy
The department is responsible for the nation's nuclear weapons and the environmental cleanup of the nuclear wastes. It supports research in science and technology and is responsible for maintaining energy resources for the nation and developing new sources of energy.
Department of Health and Human Services
The department is charged with protecting the nation's health and providing essential human services. It is responsible for food and drug safety, Medicare and financial assistance for low income families.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Links to the Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance.
Food and Drug Administration
The web site is a source of reports on the topics of food, cosmetics, drugs, food additives, food borne illness, tobacco and chemical contaminants.
National Institutes of Health
Provides links to health resources, Medline, Cancernet, AIDS info, Women's Health Initiative and Consumer Health Info.
National Library of Medicine
Links to the library catalog and a number of health databases.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The mission of the department is to provide suitable living environment for all Americans. The site contains HUD'S regulations as well as a number of housing reports.
Department of the Interior
The goal of Department of the Interior is to provide access to the nations natural and cultural heritage. It oversees the management of public lands, mineral resources, and is responsible for surface mining reclamation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is under the control of this department. The home page has a link to the department library that contains statistical information.
National Park Service
The site contains a search engine, historical information and links to the national park system.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Site contains reports and statistics that deal with the conservation, protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html
Located in this site are information programs and information about native Americans. It includs maps, Indian statistics, Indian gaming information and a site about tracing your Indian ancestry.
Department of Justice
The enforcement of the law is the primary responsibility of the Department of Justice. It provides leadership in controlling crime, administer immigration laws and defends the legal interest of the United States.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Besides lists of the FBI most wanted, there are links to FBI news, stolen art information and crime statistics at this site.
Immigration and Naturalization
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
The site provides links to the laws and regulations concerning immigration and naturalization. The site also has links to immigration and naturalization statistics.
Department of Labor
The department responsibilities include enforcing statutes that deal with the American workplace. This includes: wages, health, safety, pension regulations, equal opportunity, workers compensation, unemployment and collective bargaining.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The site contains access to a variety of the Labor Department's time series; for example, the consumer price index. There is general economic information that deals with employment related statistics and there are some international employment statistics.
Employment Standards Administration
Contains statutes and regulations regarding child labor, fair labor standards and workers compensation.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The site contains a variety of information pertaining to OSHA. This includes: fact sheets, statutes, regulations, news, standards and statistics.
Department of State
The State Department primarily deals with foreign affairs and provides advice and information concerning other countries. It administers the foreign service and negotiates and interprets treaties and agreements. It grants and issues passports.
Office of Under Secretary for Political Affairs Geographic Bureaus
http://www.state.gov/www/regions_regional.html
Provides large amounts of international information, including current news and background information.
Department of Transportation
All transportation systems, roads, waterways, railroads and air transport fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. It mission is to ensure fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
The site provides a variety of statistics related to travel and transportation. The Commodity Flow Survey, the American Travel Survey and maps are found at this site.
Department of Treasury
The Department manages and accounts for federal funds, collects taxes and enforces tax law, produces currency and postage stamps and is charged with protecting the President and the Vice President.
Financial Management Service
The primary government accountant, the site contains exchange rates, reports concerning the financial state of the federal government, treasury bulletins and treasury statements.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
This is a comprehensive site that contains a large amount of information. Tax forms, publications, regulations and statistics can be found at this site.
Veterans Administration
The Veterans Administration is responsible for all veterans programs, pension, health care facilities and statistical data concerning veterans.
Independent Agencies
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
The mission of the CIA is to promote national security by obtaining and providing comprehensive and accurate foreign intelligence and to conduct counter intelligence activities. The most useful link on the site is the CIA World Fact Book that contains country information.
Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and safeguard the environment. The site contains news, laws, regulations, environmental statistics, environmental models and technical software.
Federal Communications Commission
The mission of the department is to encourage competition in all types of communications markets and to protect the public interest. The site includes the Commissions Daily Digest, the news, speeches and the Telcom Act.
Federal Reserve System
http://www.federalreserve.gov/
The above link is to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve serves as the central bank of the United States. Its purpose is to provide a safe, stable, flexible monetary and financial system.
Federal Trade Commission
The FTC enforces a variety of anti-trust and consumer protection laws. It works to eliminate unfair and deceptive marketplace practices. It also is responsible for economic analysis. The site contains a variety of consumer reports, news releases, regulations, laws and litigation status reports.
National Archives
It provides access to the documents that deal with the national experience, the rights of citizens and the actions of federal officials. The web site features an online exhibit hall. Some of the featured documents include the Emancipation Proclamation, the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. Some of the government publications included are the Federal Register, US Government Manual and the Code of Federal Regulations.
Security and Exchange Commission
The Security and Exchange commission has both judicial as well as regulatory responsibilities. It requires companies involved in trading securities to file a variety of reports. The commission publishes the reports via its EDGAR database, which insures investors have access to information about the securities markets.
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration provides financial, technical and management assistance to small businesses. The web site has an online library; there are reports and statistical studies, laws and regulations.
Smithsonian
The Smithsonian is an independent trust of the United States. It collects and holds artifacts and specimens. It operates sixteen museums and galleries, the national zoo and a number of research facilities.
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration administer the rules, regulations and payment of old age, death and disability pensions as well as the Supplemental Security Income Program. The online web site contains laws, regulations, research evaluation and statistics.
US Postal Service
The postal service web site contains postal facts and figures, legal decisions and a guide to zip codes.
Legislative Branch
House of Representatives
The web site contains a diary of links to the members of the House. There is a schedule for the House activities and a link to Thomas, a database that tracks legislation and a link to the roll calls of recent legislation.
Senate
The Senate web page contains information on the senators and the Senate leadership. It contains the Senate's history and committee information and links to committee pages.
Legislative Offices and Government Printing Office
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html
The Government Printing Office is responsible for the distribution and publications of Congress as well as some of the publications of the executive agencies. There are a number of databases linked to this site and large amounts of full text.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is responsible for collecting, sustaining and preserving knowledge for the present and the future. The site contains a link to the Thomas a database that allows you to search the full text of current bills in Congress. The catalog of the Library of Congress is searchable from this site and there are selected historical documents available at American Memory.
Biographical Directory of Congress
http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp
This is a governmental web site which contains short biographies of congresspersons from 1774 to the present. The site also contains links to the history of the House and Senate.
Judicial Branch
US Courts
The judicial branch does not have the extensive web pages that the other two branches have. The site contains an explanation of the court's structure and statistics of judicial business. The primary mode of access to the courts and their decisions is provided by law schools.
Supreme Court of the United States
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/index.html
Supreme Courts web page. Contains information about the court. The site contains the recent decisions of the court.
Findlaw
http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html
This site contains the opinions of the courts since 1893.
Project Hermes
http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
This site contains the opinions of the courts since 1893.
Federal Court of Appeals
http://www.law.emory.edu/FEDCTS/
There are eleven circuit courts with and additional court for the District of Columbia and a general federal circuit court. Information about the circuit courts and their decisions is maintained by various law schools.
Federal Judiciary Home Page
The web pages contain general information about the court systems. There is a section that deals with important issues the courts are dealing with.
Court T.V.
This is a website more suitable for identifying higher profile crimes.
Third Judicial Circuit
Web page for the Third Circuit of the US Court of Appeals. This circuit includes New Jersey.
New Jersey Government
New Jersey
This is the basic link, to the New Jersey government home page. It contains links to the Governor's office, the state library and to counties and municipalities. (It is not inclusive. Not all municipalities are listed).
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/nrsr_lists.htm
Listing of properties and historic districts in New Jersey.
New Jersey Legislature
The legislature site contains a listing of members, districts, statutes, bills from 1996-present, the legislative calendar and the New Jersey Statutes.
New Jersey Judiciary
http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/
The site contains an explanation of the New Jersey Court system, its news releases and the opinions the courts.
New Jersey Administrative Code
http://www.lexisnexis.com/njoal/
The site contains the New Jersey Register and Administrative Code.
Rutgers Law Library
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/search.shtml
The site which is maintained by Rutgers contains Supreme Court, Appellate Cout and Tax Court decisions.
United State District Court for the District of New Jersey
http://pacer.njd.uscourts.gov/
The site has administrative information about the court, directories, legal forms and court fee information. The part of the site, which provides full text of court cases requires and ID and password.
Decisions of State Administrative Law Courts
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/oal/search.html
This is another Rutgers Law School site. It contains administrative law judges decisions.
State Governments
Delaware Court Documents Online
Delaware court documents are found on this website. The site is provides information to the legal community in Delaware. The site requires registration and costs $.50 a page to download.
Courtroom 21
http://www.courtroom21.net/index.html
An experimental virutal courtroom is found at this web site. The site is run by National Center for State Courts and the William & Mary School of Law. The site is exploring the use of technology in the courtroom.
Florida State Courts
The site contains information about the Florida court system. There are a few cases featured but there is no comprehensive case files.
Global Governments
United Nations
The United Nations contains information about the United Nations organization and agencies. It also contains international law information.
Government on the WWW
Contains 11,000 links to 216 world governments.
Global Statistics
This is not strictly a government site but it provides links to basic world statistics.
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