Specific Sources of Interest

CBO, or Congressional Budget Office

The CBO performs quantitative and qualitative analysis on governmental policy issues. The CBO is perhaps the most objective source of information on many hotly debated issues. It’s a great place to go for background on a topic but also for fair estimates of the effects of a policy.

Black’s Law Dictionary

This is a law dictionary that is excellent for defining terms in resolutions dealing with legal issues.

Amicus Briefs

When a case reaches a Federal District Court or the Supreme Court, interested parties file Amicus Briefs on behalf of either party in the case. These are excellent sources of arguments and evidence on any topic that has a relevant Court case dealing with its concerns. In order to find relevant briefs, you should know the Supreme Court case you are interested in. You can find many briefs here or you can try to access them on Lexis Nexis if you have a subscription. Also you can also access briefs here filed by the US Solicitor General from 1997 to the present.

Transcripts

You may find a speech, governmental hearing, or policy roundtable discussed the topic or relevant information. You should look for the records, or transcripts, of these events and cite that document. Transcripts also often cite other research and scholarly publications, which could be useful to you as well.