Trexler Library Study Guide
Politics and Law
FOR BROWSING
Politics books are located in the JA - JS sections; law
books are in the K section.
INDEXES
Social Sciences Index 1974-1994
P.A.I.S. International
New York Times (Paper and CD-ROM)
LEXIS – NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE
Index Area
Find out about legal news, federal and state case
laws, codes and regulations, international legal
markets, and career information all in one database.
U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
REF KF 101.6 .G83 1983
Use this to find the text of and/or comment on cases
decided by the Supreme Court. There is a case index
as well as a subject index. Numbers in the indexes
refer to cases, not to pages. For information about
Court decisions after 1983, check periodical indexes
under the subject heading "U.S. Supreme Court Decisions."
Index to Legal Periodicals
Index Area. 1989-Present
In back of this index there is a Table of Cases and a
Table of Statutes. Consult them when researching a
particular law or court decision, including Supreme
Court decisions.
DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS
American Political Dictionary
REF JK 9 .P55 1989
Here you can find definitions of all kinds of political
terminology as well as information on government
agencies, notable Supreme Court cases, and
significant statutes. For each item listed, it not only
defines or explains it, but also discusses its historical
and contemporary significance. Because of the book's
arrangement, use of its index is a necessity.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
REF KF 4548 .E53 2000 6 Vols.
A good place to start when researching U.S. Supreme
Court cases or when seeking information on the
historical, political, and legal aspects of the American
Constitution. Also includes biographies of people
associated in any way with the Constitution. There is
a case index in volume 6. Check the supplementary
volume for updated information.
Encyclopedia of the American Judicial System
REF KF 154 .E53 1987 3 Vols.
Use this in conjunction with the Encyclopedia of the
American Constitution. It not only contains extensive
information on Constitutional law, but also on other
aspects of the American legal system - its history, its
institutions, its personnel, and so on. Use the subject
index to find specific items of information or
particular court cases.
Encyclopedia of American Political History
REF E 183 .E5 1984 3 Vol.s
This work complements the above two encyclopedias
and serves as an excellent starting point when you are
researching major issues, themes, institutions,
processes, and developments within the history of
American politics. As with the above encyclopedias,
consult the index first.
Guide to American Law
REF KF 156 .G77 1983-Present
Check this encyclopedia for information on any topic
in American law, including discussions of Supreme
Court cases. The annual supplements keep it very upto-date.
Historic US Court Cases 1690-1990
Ref KF 385 .A4 J64 1992
Lists the popular court cases by subject
alphabetically. Provides summaries of each court
case.
United States Code
REF KF 62 1988 .A2
Here you can find the official text of every federal
law currently in force. It lists the laws under 50
separate titles, and numbers in the index (which you
must consult first) refer you to these titles and their
sections. The title numbers are on the spine of each
volume. Kept up-to-date by annual supplements.
HANDBOOKS
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report
Bound Periodicals Area.
If you want to know what's currently happening in
Congress, the White House, or the Supreme Court,
read this. It provides objective summaries and
analyses of the weekly happenings in the federal
government - voting, committee activities, lobby
activities, Supreme Court decisions, Presidential
statements, and so on. At the end of the year, all is
condensed, re-edited, and published as:
Congressional Quarterly Almanac REF JK 1 .C65
1965Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S.
Supreme Court
REF KF 8742 .W567 1997 2 Vols.
An excellent book to use when researching Supreme
Court decisions. The Case Index will tell you where
to find information. Also contains all kinds of other
information about the Supreme Court - its origin,
history, powers, members, and so on.
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to Congress
REF JK 1021 .C565
Comprehensive treatment of information concerning
the legislative branch from its very beginnings to
pressing matters of today. Includes an appendix,
which provides rules of the house and senate;
glossary of congressional terms; and an alphabetical
list with brief biographical data of all past and present
congress members.
Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to U.S. Elections
REF JK 1967 .C662 1994
Data from presidential, gubernatorial, and
congressional elections. Appendix provides
information on related election material such as
methods of voting. Candidate Index.
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the
Presidency
REF JK 516 .C57
Consult this guide to answer any question you have
regarding the executive or legislative branches of the
federal government.
Historic Documents of 19__
REF E 839.5 .H57Contains speeches, reports, court
decisions, government statements, treaties, and other
documents “of basic importance in the broad range of
public affairs” – politics, economics, education,
welfare, criminal justice, religion, and so on.
Especially useful for researching decisions of the
U.S. Supreme Court.
Statesman’s Year-Book
REF JA 51 .S7
Up-to-date statistical and factual data on international
organizations, as wall as the government, history,
politics, education, economy, finances, religion, the
media and the justice system, of any country of the
world (or any state of the United States). A similar,
but more expansive work, is: Europa YearBook
REF JN 1.E85
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