Research On-ramps - GOVT 210 - Political Power & American Public Policy (W2 Core)

Multi-Subject Reference

Use these resources to build a baseline understanding of the topic. Read for content, but also for style. Can you tell who the intended audience was? Do they align with the structure you need for a policy memo or explainer blog?

CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.

CRS Reports (via ProQuest Congressional)
The Congressional Research Service provides policy and legal analysis to congressional committees and members of both the House and Senate.
The Conversation
All authors are academic experts writing for a general audience. Articles use a Creative Commons license, allowing other publications to redistribute the information as long as proper attribution is given.

Policy Commons
Search 3.2 million reports, working papers, policy briefs, data sources and media in the Global Think Tank collection; surveys, reports, and research from the governments of 600+ North American cities, plus publications from local governments around the world in World Cities.
Policy File Index
Resource for the identification of public policy research and analysis.

In support of the University's budget mitigation efforts, AU Library had to make cuts to our collection and cancel some resources. Unfortunately, access to Policy File Index ended June 30, 2025.
We recommend this resource as an alternative:
Policy Commons
For more information about the library’s cancellation process, please see the Scholarly Resource Cancellations Subject Guide.
PolicyMap
Integrates data including demographics, home sale statistics, health data, mortgage trends, labor data and more with web-based GIS. This allows users to view data on maps, table, and charts.
** Access restricted to current AU students, faculty, and staff. **

** There was an update made to our authentication to this resource on August 20, 2024. Existing users will be prompted to verify their accounts by inputting a code sent to their @american.edu email. **

Subject Area Resources

Jonas and Kovner's Health Care Delivery in the United States by James R. Knickman (Editor); Anthony R. Kovner (Editor)
Call Number: e-book

ISBN: 9780826172730

Publication Date: 2018-12-01

Section on Health Policy includes chapters on The Challenge of Health Care Delivery and Health Policy, Organization of Care, The Politics of Health Care in the United States, and Comparative Health Systems

USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy
A partnership between Economic Studes at Brookings and the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics that aims to inform the national health care debate with rigorous, evidence-based analysis leading to practical recommendations.
KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)
A nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues. KFF develops and runs its own policy analysis, journalism, and communications programs, sometimes in partnership with major news organizations.
note: not associated with Kaiser Permanente.
Health Care Policy Think Tanks
A list of Health Policy Think Tanks assembled by the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

Economic Indicators
Monthly publication prepared by the Council of Economic Advisers for the Joint Economic Committee. Provides economic information including GDP, income, employment, production, business activity, prices, money, credit, security markets, Federal finance, and international statistics.
Appropriations Statutes (1999 - present)
Track appropriations legislation through congress, past and present. Includes links to full text of bills and related committee reports
CQ Budget
News and analysis of the federal budgeting process. Appropriations bills status table displays at the top of the landing page. Scroll down for articles.

The Welfare State: a Very Short Introduction by David Garland
ISBN: 9780199672660

Publication Date: 2016-06-01

This Very Short Introduction describes the modern welfare state, explaining its historical and contemporary significance and arguing that far from being 'a failure' or 'a problem', welfare states are an essential element of contemporary capitalism, and a vital concomitant of democratic government. In this accessible and entertaining account, David Garland cuts through the fog of misunderstandings to explain in clear and simple terms, what the welfare state is, how it works, and why it matters.
Routledge handbook of poverty in the United States by Stephen Haymes (Editor); Maria Vidal de Haymes (Editor); Reuben Miller (Editor)
ISBN: 1138298743

Publication Date: 2017-06-07

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Routledge Handbook of the Welfare State by Bent Greve (Editor)
ISBN: 1315207044

Publication Date: 2018-06-28

Analysis of the core issues related to the welfare state, including regional depictions of welfare states around the globe. Combines essays on methodologies, core concepts and central policy areas to produce a comprehensive understanding of what 'the welfare state' means around the world.

Social Science Database (ProQuest)
Abstracts and some full text of journals and magazines in anthropology, sociology, psychology, business management, public administration, political science, criminology, and economics.
Social Services Abstracts

Social Services Abstracts (CSA)Citations and abstracts from over 1,800 serials as well as dissertations on social work, human services, social welfare, and social policy.

Climate Extra
News and analysis covering climate policy developments in U.S. federal and state governments.
Previously InsideEPA/climate, Clean Energy Report, and Carbon Control News.
Includes access to general news available on the InsideEPA.com homepage.

Handbook of U. S. Environmental Policy by David M. Konisky (Editor)
ISBN: 9781788972833

Publication Date: 2020-04-15

A comprehensive analysis of diverse areas of scholarly research on U.S. environmental policy and politics, this Handbook looks at the key ideas, theoretical frameworks, empirical findings and methodological approaches to the topic. Separated into five distinct thematic sections, the Handbook moves from examining political institutions, to politics and behavior, policy tools and strategies, climate change, and finally ideas and challenges.
US Environmental Policy in Action by Sara R. Rinfret; Michelle C. Pautz
ISBN: 9783030113155

Publication Date: 2019-02-27

US Environmental Policy in Action provides a comprehensive look at the creation, implementation, and evaluation of environmental policy, which is of particular importance in our current era of congressional gridlock, increasing partisan rhetoric, and escalating debates about federal/state relations.

The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism by Erica Chenoweth (Editor); Richard English (Editor); Andreas Gofas (Editor); Stathis N. Kalyvas (Editor)
ISBN: 9780198732914

Publication Date: 2019-05-14

Integrates scholarship on terrorism and counterterrorism before and after 9/11. It introduces scholars and practitioners to approaches, methods, and issues in studying and teaching terrorism and locates terrorism within the wider spectrum of political violence.
Routledge handbook of law and terrorism by Genevieve Lennon (Editor); Clive Walker (Editor)
ISBN: 1134455097

Publication Date: 2015-07-16

This handbook surveys how the law has been deployed in all aspects of counter-terrorism. It provides an analysis of counter-terrorism laws in domestic jurisdictions, taking a comparative approach to a range of jurisdictions, especially the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe.

Janes
Defense and security news, intelligence, and analysis. Our subscription includes modules in the following areas:
Country Intelligence
Defence Budgets
Defence Equipment & Technology
Military Capabilities
Terrorism & Insurgency

Our subscription also includes Janes IntelTrak and the Janes Tradecraft online courses.

Direct links to Janes modules:
Defence Equipment & Technology
Defence Budgets
Military Capabilities
Terrorism & Insurgency
Defence Programmes
Access to Janes IntelTrak and the Janes Tradecraft online courses requires a separate login. Please reach out to Janes by email to request an account.

Encyclopedia of Educational Reform and Dissent by Thomas J. Lasley; C. Daniel Raisch (Editor); Thomas C. Hunt (Editor); James C. Carper (Editor)
Call Number: e-book

ISBN: 9781412956642

Publication Date: 2010-01-20

An authoritative A-Z resource that covers biographies of reformers and dissenters, theoretical and ideological perspectives, key programs and legislation, judicial verdicts impacting educational change in America, dissent and resistance to reforms, and technology's impact on educational reform.

ERIC (Education) via ProQuest
The ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to provide extensive access to educational-related literature and indexes over 700 journals in the field of education. In addition, ERIC provides coverage of conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, books and monographs.

Education Statistice LibGuide
Curated by AU's education librarian, Hannah Park, this guide provides sources for education statistics from government and non-profit sources

Lessons for Education from COVID-19 a Policy Maker's Handbook for More Resilient Systems by OECD
ISBN: 9789264718265

Publication Date: 2021-01-26

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken long-accepted beliefs about education, showing that learning can occur anywhere, at any time, and that education systems are not too heavy to move. When surveyed in May 2020, only around one-fifth of OECD education systems aimed to reinstate the status quo. Policy makers must therefore maintain the momentum of collective emergency action to drive education into a new and better normal. This Handbook presents the current state-of-play in over 40 education systems, and efforts to improve pedagogical practices in the midst of the pandemic. Drawing on concrete examples of COVID-19 policy responses from primary to tertiary, as well as impactful pre-crisis policies, it addresses the policy areas of flexible learning, educator skills, and student equity.
Handbook of Research on School Choice by Mark Berends (Editor); Ann Primus Berends (Editor); Matthew Springer (Editor)
ISBN: 9780815381471

Publication Date: 2019-06-30

The Handbook of Research on School Choice focuses on policy-relevant research on K-12 school choice. It begins with scholarly overviews that explore historical, political, economic, legal, methodological, and international perspectives on school choice. In the following sections, experts examine the research and current state of common forms of school choice: charter schools, school vouchers, and magnet schools. The concluding section brings together perspectives on other key topics such as accountability, tax credit scholarships, parent decision-making, and marginalized students.