The US Library of Congress' American Memory Collections, beginning a gigantic effort to make the history of the lawmaking bodies of the US easily accessible to the public, has released full text of documents and debates from the First and Second Congresses (1789-1793). At present, about 4,400 pages of documents are available. Sources include: Journal of the House of Representatives, Journal of the...

The Cato Institute is a think tank that promotes "principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace." For those looking for a libertarian perspective on a wide range of issues, the Cato Policy Report, published six times a year, will not disappoint. Recent cover stories have included an examination of "Science, Reason, and Moral Progress," by Michael Shermer, the...

Published by Congressional Quarterly, Governing magazine is billed as "the resource for states and localities." It is certainly a nice resource, and public officials, administrators, and anyone with even a passing interest in the world of governance will want to bookmark this site. For the most recent news from the world of public affairs, visitors will want to browse on over to the "Today's News"...

Founded by former Washington Post editors in the winter of 2007, Politico shares breaking news on politics and policy, from congress to lobbying to the presidential campaign. With a circulation of about 40,000, the newspaper is distributed for free in Washington D.C. and Manhattan. Most adherents, however, stay up-to-date by using the Politico website, where readers may like to begin by scouting...

Roll Call is "The Newspaper of Capitol Hill since 1955", that covers the people, process and politics of Capitol Hill. The website has many multimedia features, including videos, an interactive timeline, podcasts, photo galleries, and political cartoons. Some of the sections of the online version of the paper include "News", "Opinion", "Politics", "Vested Interests", "Around the Hill", and...

Since its inception, Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill since 1955, has written about and for the US Congress. Roll Call has created this website to continue its unorthodox reporting in another format that reaches a wider audience. Instead of tracking issues and legislation, the newspaper and site cover "the three Ps: people, politics, and process." Hard-nosed reporting on money trails and...

In the wake of The New Yorker's creation, a group of Chicagoans decided to create a like-minded publication for the Windy City. With that in mind, The Chicagoan was born in 1926. This jaunty publication, which lasted until 1935, aimed "to portray the city as a cultural hub and counter its image as a place of violence and vice." This remarkable website created by the University of Chicago Library...

The Hill has the largest weekly circulation on Capitol Hill and has a target audience composed of Congress, the Executive Branch, Cabinet-level departments as well as public-interest and lobbying groups. In short, the Hill is a highly focused window into the politics/workings of the legislative branch (and subsequent interactions with the executive and judicial branches) of the US federal...

U.S. News Online offers their weekly news magazine, as well as daily newsupdates, photo essays, sound bites, and special features. Sections include: News Watch, Washington Connection, Town Hall, News You Can Use, College Fair and the Current Issue. Special features include Election '96, with election stories, photos, background information, and links to candidates' web sites. People Power...

The Washington Post (discussed in the June 21, 1996 Scout Report) has recently added this section, a compendium of features covering various areas of the American political scene. In addition to the excellent daily coverage of federal politics, it contains analysis of the newly released national budget, news on upcoming political campaigns, a guide section with directory information on members of...