Politics Library Blog

Staff at the Air University’s Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center compile useful bibliographies that list Internet resources, periodical articles and books on a wide variety of research topics. Here are some bibliographies posted in the last several months:

• Africa, Central. March 2008. 48p
• Africa, Eastern. March 2008. 108p
• Africa, Southern. June 2008. 129p
• The Caucasus. February 2008. 34p
• China. (Special Bibliography No. 318, Supplement No. 2) March 2008. 85p
• Climate Change and National Security. April 2008. 13p
• Colombia. May 2008. 35p
• Cuba after Castro. April 2008. 10p
• Cyberspace and National Security. March 2008. 22p
• Effects Based Operations. January 2008. 55p
• Eisenhower, Dwight D. June 2008. 25p
• Iran Nuclear Program: U.S. Options. February 2008. 34p
• Islam 2008. April 2008. 65p
• Kosovo. May 2008. 35p
• Middle East. January 2008. 48p
• Non-Lethal Weapons. June 2008. 26p
• Persian Gulf. February 2008. 23p
• Private Military Companies. March 2008. 13p
• Russia. (Special Bibliography No. 327, Supplement 2) June 2008. 68p
• Space. (Special Bibliography No. 329, Supplement No.1) February 2008. 57p
• Terrorism 2008. (Special Bibliography No. 333) July 2008. 104p
• Venezuela. April 2008. 30p

See their complete list of bibliographies.

The Arab Political Systems webpage represents a joint undertaking of the Democracy and Rule of Law Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington and the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) in Madrid. It provides easily accessible baseline information about the political systems of Arab countries, with links to official documents and websites, and will be frequently updated to provide information about reforms being introduced. The information about each country includes a section on “Updates and Forthcoming Events” which will be updated as events warrant.

The webpage complements the information about political reform in Arab countries provided by the Arab Reform Bulletin, a monthly online publication by the Carnegie Endowment.

Try these resources selected by the Librarians’ Internet Index:

Popular Names (U.S. Code) http://www.dol.gov/oasam/library/law/lawtips/popularnames.htm
  This brief article lists three ways of looking up United States Code items by popular name, including the U.S. Code’s print Acts Cited by Popular Name, Westlaw’s USCA Popular Name Table (USCA-POP), and the free online source, Popular Names of Acts in the U.S. Code (offered by Cornell University Law School). From the Law Tips Archive of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wirtz Labor Law Library.

Popular Names of Constitutional Provisions http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/consticlauses.html
  Many provisions of the U.S. Constitution are known by popular name or nickname. This page identifies many of those popular names and includes the text of the relevant provisions. The information is arranged in two lists: the first, alphabetically by popular name and the second, arranged by appearance in the Constitution. Some of the popular names include “Citizenship Clause,” “Due Process Clause,” and “Slavery Amendment.” From Marian Gould Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington.

Copyright 2008 by Librarians’ Internet Index, LII. - http://www.lii.org/

Pope Benedict XVI: Apostolic Journey to the United States 2008 http://www.uspapalvisit.org/
  Website for the April 2008 papal visit to the United States. Features a brief biography of Pope Benedict XVI, a list of his travels outside of Italy back to 2005, details about beatifications and canonizations, links to key writings, and details about his itinerary in Washington, D.C. (April 15-17) and New York City (April 18-20). Also includes video clips and a blog. From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism: A Report Provided to the United States Congress http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/102406.htm
  This 2008 report “is provided to the U.S. Congress to further assess contemporary anti-Semitism by exploring anti-Semitic themes and practices. [It] is meant to be used as a resource for increasing understanding of and informing public discourse.” Dedicated to the memory of Congressman Tom Lantos, the report focuses on definitions of anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic incidents and discourse, government-sponsored anti-Semitism, and similar themes. From the U.S. Department of State.

Truth in Immigration http://www.truthinimmigration.org/
  This website was created to refute “legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants and Latinos,” specifically those that are “disseminated and promoted in the media, the public messaging of anti-immigration organizations, and political campaigns.” Features a list of myths and responses, updates, and links to related sites. From the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

Dropouts, Completers and Graduation Rate Reports http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/pub_dropouts.asp
  “These reports present the number and percentage of students dropping out and completing public school (among states that reported dropouts and completers).” Data covers dropout and completion rates by age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, recency of immigration, region, and other factors. Reports go back to 1994. From the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Tax Gap http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=158619,00.html
  “Find resources on this page pertaining to the tax gap — the difference between the amount of tax that taxpayers should pay and the amount that is paid voluntarily and on time.” Includes studies and statistics, and fact sheets (going back to 2006) on tax gap topics such as filing past-due returns, avoiding penalties, and reporting specific types of income. From the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

What Is the Tax Gap? http://www.urban.org/publications/1001112.html
  This 2007 paper “addresses issues related to measurement of the tax gap — the difference between tax liability under the current Federal tax law and taxes paid. [It] discusses how the tax gap is defined, reviews the main components of the tax gap, and describes how the IRS estimates it, as well as some of the major methodological issues in and weaknesses of current estimates.” Includes links to related research. From the nonpartisan Urban Institute.

Hot Politics http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hotpolitics/
  Companion website to a 2008 PBS Frontline documentary that looks at the factors behind “the [failure of the] executive branch of the U.S. government … to join in climate change agreements adopted by much of the rest of the world.” Features investigative reports, a timeline of scientific and political developments concerning global warming, interviews, readings and links, a teacher’s guide, and more.

Fight Global Warming http://fightglobalwarming.com/
  Website for an Environmental Defense Fund campaign designed as a “wake-up call” about global warming, “the most serious environmental challenge of our time.” Includes discussions of the dangers of global warming (such as health concerns, extreme weather, and economic impacts) and the science of global warming (such as pollution and improving energy consumption), an energy calculator, and tips for what you can do at home and on the road.

What $1.2 Trillion Can Buy http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/business/17leonhardt.html
  This January 2007 article evaluates the cost of Iraq War in terms of “what you could buy with the money.” Includes a graphic comparing the annual cost of the war to the cost of other potential government programs such as universal health care and universal preschool. Also includes links to related materials about the economics of the Iraq War. From The New York Times.

Copyright 2008 by Librarians’ Internet Index, LII. - http://www.lii.org/

These are only selections of data files, for more files and detailed descriptions, see http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/access/recent.html

New Data Files:
13885 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Voting-Age Population and Voting-Age Citizens (PHC-T-31) http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13885.xml
  This collection contains two ZIP archives with 67 tables derived from the Census of Population and Housing, 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT44 (see ICPSR studies 13512 through 13563). The first archive comprises 17 tables that show the voting-age population and voting-age citizen population, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, for the United States and the 50 states. The second archive contains 50 tables that show the total voting-age population and voting-age citizen population for the 50 states and their counties.

21380 Voice of the People, 2006 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21380.xml
  This annual survey by Gallup International Association, fielded July to September 2006, was conducted in over 60 countries to solicit public opinion on social and political issues. Respondents were asked for their opinions about globalization, their opinions about several countries, and whether they would like to live in those countries. The survey also asked the respondents about the United States’ involvement in the fight against terrorism and about other issues such as the growth of the world economy. Additional questions addressed Internet usage, terrorism in the respondent’s country, women’s rights, education, and political ideology. Demographic information includes sex, age, income, education level, employment status, and religious affiliation.

21441 Voice of the People, 2007 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21441.xml
  Same as above, except for 2007 (survey fielded June to October 2007).

20354 Impact of Prisoner Litigation Reform, 1992-2000 [United States] http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20354.xml
  In 1996, the United States Congress enacted two policies to regulate the use of the legal system by state prisoners. They were the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA). The purpose of this research project was to examine whether the PLRA and the AEDPA had their intended effects of reducing the number of Section 1983 lawsuits and habeas corpus petitions, respectively, at both the national and circuit court levels. The researchers obtained data, from the Research and Statistics Division of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, on the number of civil rights suits and the number of habeas corpus petitions filed by state prisoners in district courts from April 1992 to December 2000.

20344 Consequences of Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Chicago, Illinois, 1994-2000 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20344.xml
  This study used data from the first two waves of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to analyze the consequences of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence. The researcher for this study attempted to make four contributions: (1) provide theory driven research in the field of intimate partner violence, (2) do practical research, (3) strike a balance between the resolution of measurement problems and the examination of concrete outcomes, and (4) use high quality data and advanced statistical techniques to adjudicate between conflicting findings in existing literature.

Updated Data Files:
3131 American National Election Study, 2000: Pre- and Post-Election Survey http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03131.xml
  This study is part of a time-series collection of national surveys fielded continuously since 1952. The election studies are designed to present data on Americans’ social backgrounds, enduring political predispositions, social and political values, perceptions and evaluations of groups and candidates, opinions on questions of public policy, and participation in political life.

7735 County and City Data Book [United States] Consolidated File: City Data, 1944-1977 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/07735.xml
  This study is a compendium of data for all cities in the United States with populations greater than 25,000 in the period 1944-1977. The data provide diverse information ranging from city government activities to population estimates and characteristics to housing unit descriptors. Included is information on city government revenues, property taxes, capital outlay, and debts, and expenditures on education, highways, public welfare, health and hospitals, and police, as well as information on births, deaths, schooling, labor force, employment, family income, family characteristics, electoral votes, number of registered voters, and housing characteristics. Additional variables provide information on manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, banking, mineral industries, farm population, agriculture, crime, and weather.

7736 County and City Data Book [United States] Consolidated File: County Data, 1947-1977 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/07736.xml
  Same as above, except for counties.

Courtesy of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/

GeoSearch News http://geosearch.metacarta.com/
  The explosion of geospatial computer applications and their ilk has been exciting in recent years. The MetaCarta company recently created the GeoSearchNews site, and it’s one that visitors may find themselves spending a bit of time with while online. The site pulls news stories from a wide range of sources, geocodes them appropriately, and then allows users to view the locations on an interactive map. Users can type in a location and zoom in on a range of recent news articles and stories. Using the search engine, visitors can also specify their date range and their general region of interest. Currently, visitors can look all over the globe, and the site also includes a FAQ section for general consultation.

Google Earth 4.3 http://earth.google.com/
  If visitors haven’t already taken a look through Google Earth, the new version of this mapping application may pique their interest. The visual interface for the application displays a rendering of the globe, and return visitors will notice that the control panel is now translucent and rests in a corner of the map. The application also integrates with Google’s 3-D rendering program, so users can place their new building in a real-life setting to see how it looks in context. This version is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.

World Press Freedom Committee http://www.wpfc.org/
  As concern about the safety of journalists around the world continues to grow, a number of international organizations remain dedicated to this particular issue. The World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) is interested in this issue, along with monitoring press freedom issues at the United Nations and other related activities. The information on their site is divided into sections that include “Fundamentals”, “Programs”, “Publications”, and “News”. First-time visitors should stop by the “Fundamentals” area to learn more about the basic international documents related to various press freedoms around the world. Moving on, the “Programs” area contains detailed information on their “Fund Against Censorship” initiative and their work in the area of Internet press freedom. Most scholars and working journalists will want to spend a bit of time in their “Publications” area. Here they will find recent work on press freedoms in the world of new media and the 2007 report “It’s a Crime: How Insult Laws Stifle Press Freedom”. The site is rounded out by an RSS feed and a news media center with recent press releases.

Taking Back Our Fiscal Future http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2008/04_fiscal_future/04_fiscal_future.pdf
  The long-term fiscal outlook of the United States is the subject of this probing and insightful paper released by The Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation in April 2008. Authored by a group of scholars and experts who span the ideological spectrum, they all share “a deep concern about the nation’s long-term fiscal outlook.” They seem to agree on a number of things, including that “unsustainable deficits in the federal budget threaten the health and vigor of the American economy.” In this work, they offer a number of proposals for change, including offering up the suggestion that Congress and the president “enact explicit long-term budgets for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security that are sustainable.” The report will be a valuable find for many, including students of public policy, economists, and those in government.

Garibaldi and the Risorgimento http://dl.lib.brown.edu/garibaldi/
  Known as the “Hero of the Two Worlds” due to his military exploits in South America and Europe, Giuseppe Garibaldi played a key role in the Risorgimento in Italy. This movement effectively united the various political states that existed within the Italian peninsula during the nineteenth century. This excellent digital archive, created by the Brown University Library’s Center for Digital Initiative, offers a broad range of materials related to Garibaldi and his various deeds. Perhaps the key element of this fine collection is a dynamic visualization of the library’s Garibaldi panorama, which was a form of public art that was rather prominent throughout the nineteenth century. The panorama is essentially a vast linear canvas that portrayed and interpreted events and subjects from history. Here visitors can learn about the digitization process, view an animation of the panorama, and view a fifty-minute documentary about the panorama. Visitors can also view a selection of depictions of military figures from the Risorgimento. Overall, this is a fascinating exhibition, and one that will warrant several visits.

Copyright 2008 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu

All videos below (unless otherwise noted) are held in the Language Resource Center located in East Pyne.

	China from the Inside A KQED Public Television and Granada Production in association with Kostyk Communications. Writer, producer, director: Jonathan Lewis. Arlington, VA : PBS Home Video, 2006 A series of four documentaries that survey China through Chinese eyes to see how history has shaped them, and where the present is taking them. Deals with the governance of China; talks about the past and future for Chinese women; looks at China’s environmental challenges; explores China’s conflict between personal freedom and governance. DVD 3323
	Banished: How Whites Drove Blacks Out of Town in America Director: Marco Williams New York : Two Tone Productions, Center for Investigative Reporting, Working Films, 2007 Documentary about three communities which forcibly expelled African American residents between the Civil War and the Great Depression. Includes interviews with residents from those communities: Pierce City, Missouri; Harrison, Arkansas; Forsyth County, Georgia. DVD 3415
	No End in Sight Produced by Jennie Amias, Audrey Marrs, Jessie Vogelson. Producer/director: Charles Ferguson. New York : Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2007 An insider’s look at the decisions that led to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the handling of the occupation. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking officals, as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers and prominent analysts. Examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy—the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government and the disbanding of the Iraqi military—largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. DVD 3416
	Immigration on Main Street Episode of NOW, hosted by David Brancaccio New York : PBS Home Video, 2007 With Washington stuck in place on illegal immigration policy, local governments are taking the matter into their own hands, shifting the cultural and political battleground from Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street, USA. DVD 3336

We have recently obtained a subscription to the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP). Now hosted at Vanderbilt Unviersity, LAPOP has systematically surveyed the citizens of Latin America on their political views, specifically on democratic values and their behaviors related to democracy, since the 1970s.

LAPOP surveys analyze citizen views on system support, political tolerance, citizen participation, local government, corruption, and views on authoritarianism in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The project has recently been expanded to also cover Albania, Israel, Madagascar, Canada and the United States.

LAPOP features access to AmericasBarometer— an effort to measure democratic values and behaviors in the Americas using national probability samples of voting-age adults. This is akin to LatinoBarometer for Central America.

C-SPAN Campaign Network provides live and archived coverage of many 2008 Presidential Campaign events. From Town Hall Meetings to Victory Speeches to Endorsement Announcements. You’ll also be able to access campaign commercials from various candidates. An RSS Feed and email announcements are also available.

Search by:

• Candidate Name
• Date/Date Range
• Title or Description
• Event Location

If you can’t find the debates on Campaign Network, you can also search the primary C-SPAN site.

Courtesy of Gary Price’s ResourceShelf, see: http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/01/13/c-spans-campaign-network-what-are-people-watching-on-c-span-web-site/.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has issued a set of Religious Demographic Profiles for the following countries:

Chile
Guatemala
India
Kenya
Nigeria
Philippines
South Africa
South Korea
United States

Courtesy of Gary Price’s ResourceShelf, see: http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/01/12/fast-facts-country-religious-demographic-profiles-for-10-nations/.