This page contains resources that may be helpful for learning more about the lawmaking process and specific legislative issues. We have tried to link to the best resource for a particular type of information to keep the list reasonably short.  Map of the Capitol complex From the Architect of the Capitol. Interesting history, photos etc. Foundations and Procedure
An Overview of the Legislative Process How a bill becomes a law (The civics version) House Parliamentary Procedures Senate Parliamentary Procedure CRS Reports search to find reports on procedural issuesDistricts
Expand the House!
CQ District Profiles Excellent summaries of states and districts including political histories Census Fast Facts for Congress (note the map and narrative profile links) The Districting Game An on-line game designed to illustrate the politics of redistricting. Congressional Elections
A note about polling: Most polls sample at the national level. As a result, they are not representative at the much smaller state or congressional district level. The polls that are conducted more locally are often funded by candidates and are not shared. SurveyUSA Does poll some competitive House and Senate races MediaMatters Public interest site that monitors how the media report on campaigns and politics more generally OpenSecrets Searchable information about campaign contributions and spending. ProPublica Fascinating insights into how legislators use their Leadership PAC funds. Committees See Rule X (begins on page 8 for
the 110th). Federal
Budget of the United States THE source for the details about federal government revenues and expenditures. National Budget SimulationBreaks the federal budget down into major and minor categories.Can be used to estimate the effect of percentage adjustments to programs on the overall budget deficit etc. Legislation How our legislation is madeThis article provides terrific insights into how legislative counsel convert members' ideas into workable legislation. I'm not sure why, but the Office of Legislative Counsel did pull this from the web in 2008. Naming Post Offices through Legislation The 'trends' page offers summary information about the progress of legislation that may assist your own strategic decisions. Issue Research USA.gov One stop shopping for information about government programs Govtrack This website grabs congressional data from the Library of Congress website, and makes it easier to research. OpenCRS - All Reports This is an interesting site. A citizen group is archiving CRS reports that were not originally intended for public consumption but instead to bring lawmakers up to speed on issues. Searchable. Good stuff! Facts on File (Issues and Controversies) |  This map of the 2006 election paints House districts won by Democrats in blue and those won by Republicans in red. © 2006 M. E. J. Newman |
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legislative resources
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health care reform example
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