Research Guides: Political Science 240, International Politics, Dr. Greentree, Fall 2018: Government Documents

Finding Primary Sources - GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Collection of congressional documents, regulations, laws, legislative histories. Coverage: 1789-present.

Natinoal Archives - Presidential Libraries - contact https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/contact/libraries.html

CQ Almanac This link opens in a new window
Analysis on the major legislation and actions of United States Congress. Includes data on the voting patterns of Congress members, provides insight into the legislative process (follow history of policy), and history of the institution. Coverage: 1945-2006.

Finding Primary Sources - DECLASSIFIED GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

As classified documents are released to the public, they may appear in any of several databases or web sites. No single site or database provides complete coverage, so the diligent researcher will consult them all.

Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window
START HERE to search for declassified government documents covering United States foreign policy, including military, intelligence, diplomacy, and human rights. 1945-present.

National Security Archive (hosted at George Washington University) [NOTE: This is the website of the organization that created the data for the tool listed above. Use the link above to Digital National Security Archive to search the complete set of digitized documents. This site includes other information as well as some of the actual declassified docuemtns. To search the documents included here use the DOCUMENTS tab. Use the POSTINGS tab to browse Briefing Books. Checkout their Blog, Unredacted.]
CIA FOIA Reading Room
Department of State Electronic FOIA Reading Room [use the SEARCH tab to search]
Department of Justice Reading Room
FBI FOIA Reading Room
Department of Defense FOIA Reading Room

Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)

"The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major US foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series, which is produced by the State Department's Office of the Historian, began in 1861 and now comprises more than 350 individual volumes. The volumes published over the last two decades increasingly contain declassified records from all the foreign affairs agencies." [from the State Dept. website]

There are several online versions of parts or all of this series:

Hein Online [1861-1988 -- most comprehensive coverage]
U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian [recent volumes, 1945-1988 and links to some of the older volumes below]
U of Wisconsin Digital Collections: FRUS [older volumes - 1861-1958/60]