Since the rise of investigative journalism in the 20th century, teams of journalists have brought the general public some of the most important stories surrounding the government and its activities. Not surprisingly, a number of organizations and centers have sprung up in order to support such efforts on a full-time and sustained basis in the past few decades. One of the best is The Center for...

The Center for Science and Technology Policy Research (CSTPR) was created in 2001 and their goal is "to improve how science and technology policies address societal needs, through research, education and service." Part of this goal is accomplished via their well-designed site, which features policy papers, news updates, and highlights from recent conferences and seminars sponsored under their...

Created in 1984, the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress has been dedicated to creating affiliate centers in the 50 states. These affiliates (and the Center, of course) work together to "sponsor programs that highlight their area's literary heritage and call attention to the importance of books, reading, literacy and libraries." On their website, visitors can learn about the affiliate...

Created by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Challenge.gov is an online platform "that empowers the U.S. government and the public to bring the best ideas and top talent to bear on our nation's most pressing challenges." The "challenges" included here are created by one party (or a "seeker") to a third party or parties to "identify a solution to a particular problem or reward...

The Brookings Institution has had a long-standing interest in the American system of education, and this thoughtful 73-page report takes a close look at how the federal government might best intervene in this particular area of American society. The report was released in October 2008, and it was authored by Sara Mead and Andrew J. Rotherham. In their report, the authors suggest that the federal...

In the 20th century, the children's rights movement came into full flower as both the League of Nations and later the United Nations declared that children need safeguards and protections separate from those of adults. This authoritative collection created by The Law Library of Congress provides access to the various laws and policies that help protect children in sixteen nations, including...

For readers fascinated by the complex history of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the CIA Museum will pay intellectual dividends. Located on the CIA compound and not physically open to the public, this online collection offers interested readers the next best thing. After selecting the Experience the Collection link, readers may browse the Collection, read and hear Stories, and explore an...

Branded as "the podcast refresher course on the basics of how our democracy works," Civics 101 distills important government topics, such as the separation of powers and the electoral college, for listeners of all ages. Since its launch in 2017, the award-winning podcast has released nearly 200 episodes. Traditional episodes are around 20 minutes long, while "Civics Shorts" ("bite-size" recaps of...

The tag line of this website is "Everything you Need to Plan your Civil War Trips." With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War being commemorated this year, this website offers everything for the mildly interested to the downright enthusiastic. Visitors can find every kind of map here, including "Civil War Trails Maps," almost two dozen "Podcast Tour Maps," "Interactive Maps," "National Park...

CNN produces hundreds of podcasts every week, covering political commentary, geography, world diplomacy, popular culture, and a range of other subjects. This website brings together all of CNN's audio and video podcasts in one convenient location. Visitors can peruse the basic listings on the homepage, or they can also use the By Topic or By Title areas for more specific items. The Audio Podcasts...