Westfield State College Ely Library
Political Science: Reference Sources
See also: Databases     Web Resources    Polls & Public Opinion Web Resources
The purpose of this guide is to lead the researcher to the most important and useful sources in the Reference Collection for the study of Political Science. This list is not exhaustive; please consult with a Reference Librarian for additional suggestions.


For related subject research guides see: American History, Criminal Justice, Law, and Sociology.


Political Theory and Systems

Encyclopedia of Political Thought. Garrett Ward Sheldon. New York: Facts on File, 2001.
(REF JA61 E52 2001)
Emphasizing the 20th century, the encyclopedia contains more than 400 entries on the major ideas, people, philosophies, and concepts of civic administration that have influenced civilization.

Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy. David Schultz. New York: Facts-on-File Inc., 2004.
(REF JK9.E526 2004)
A guide to every aspect of government and public policy, with readable articles explaining concepts and policies with suggestions for further reading.

Encyclopedia of Democracy. Ed. by Seymour Martin Lipset. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1995.
(REF JC423 E53 1995)
Alphabetically arranged articles on countries, regions, eras, individuals, and philosophical concepts. Includes a selection of historic documents related to the development of democracy. 4 volumes.

The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World. 2nd ed. Ed. by Joel Krieger. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
(REF JA61 O95 2001)
More than 670 articles provide a comprehensive guide to international relations and national domestic policies throughout the world. Includes essays on "Critical Issues" and 23 "Interpretative Essays" that analyze significant topics.

The Statesman's Yearbook. Ed. by Barry Turner. London: Palgrave Press, annual.
(REF JA51 S7)
Comprehensive information on the current political, economic and social status of every country.
Also available online (Note: accessible only from Ely Library computer stations): Statesman’s Yearbook

World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties. 3d ed. Ed. by George E. Delury and Deborah A. Kaple. New York: Facts on File, 1999.
(REF JF2011 W67 1999)
For each country of the world, this encyclopedia describes the system of government, political parties, pressure groups, and national prospects. Includes bibliographies for further reading.

International Relations

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations. Cathal J. Nolan. Westport: Greenwood Publishing, 2002.
(REF JZ1160 N65 2002)
More than 6,000 alphabetically arranged entries and 29 maps cover the history of international public affairs. Includes a select bibliography and an index. 4 volumes.

International Relations: A Political Dictionary. 5th ed. Lawrence Ziring. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio, 1995.
(REF JX1226 P55 1995) A topical guide to concepts and historical events in international relations. Entries are divided into chapters like "War and Military Policy", "Diplomacy, Peacekeeping and Peacemaking", and more.

Treaties and Alliances of the World. 6th ed. N.J. Rengger and John Campbell. London: Cartermill, 1995.
(REF JX4005 T72 1995)
Descriptions of international organizations and treaties, including lists of participating nations.

Yearbook of the United Nations. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, annual.
(REF JX1977 A37 Y4)
A review of United Nations activities by topic (e.g. Political and Security Questions, Human Rights). The yearbook is published about three years after the year covered.

Encyclopedia of United States National Security. Ed. by Richard J. Samuels. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage, 2006.
(REF UA 23 E57127 2006)
An encyclopedia providing "historical facts and analyses of weapons systems, treaties, and international conflicts", with discussion covering a wide range of topics concerning the political aspects of U.S. national security. The two-volume set also features a bibliography, a timeline of events, and an index.

Human Rights

Encyclopedia of Human Rights. 2nd ed. Edward Lawson. Washington: Taylor and Francis, 1996.
(REF JC571 E67 1996)
Articles on human rights issues and organizations, and the human rights records of countries.

Human Rights Violations. Ed. by Charles F. Bahmueller. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2003.
(REF JC571 H783 2003)
Articles survey "major abuses of human rights" in chronological order from 1903 to 2001. Includes indexes to geographical areas, categories of rights violations, principal personages, and subjects. 3 volumes.

Civil rights in America : 1500 to the present. Jay A. Sigler. Detroit : Gale, 1998.
(REF JC 599 .U5 S53 1998)
Covers ethnic, minority and religious groups and the laws, people, events, court cases and documents involved in their experience. Among the groups covered in this unique source are African, Asian, Hispanic and Native North Americans, as well as immigrants, handicapped, gays and lesbians, teens, children, men and women. Significant attention is given to 19th- and early 20th-century American civil rights, as well as post-1950s civil rights issues. In 18 subject chapters, it offers authoritative overview, discussion and documentation ranging from the use of black slaves in the New World (1501) to California's Proposition 187.

U.S. Executive Branch

Encyclopedia of the American Presidency.
Ed. by Leonard W. Levy and Louis Fisher. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
(REF JK511 E53 1994)
A four-volume set of articles on topics revolving around the presidential office. The encyclopedia features articles on the individual presidents and members of their administration, as well as articles on relevant facets of the government, and topical entries on issues which have been integral to presidential politics over the years.

Guide to the Presidency. 3rd ed. Ed. by Michael Nelson. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 2002.
(REF JK516 C57 2002)
Vol. 1 covers the origins of the presidency, selection and removal, powers, and relations with the public, political parties, and interest groups. Vol. 2 covers relations with the Executive Branch, Congress, and Supreme Court.

A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government. Ed. by George T. Kurian. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
(REF JK9 H57 1998)
Articles on the origins and history of federal agencies, with a few articles on issues.

American statesmen : secretaries of state from John Jay to Colin Powell. Ed. by Edward S. Mihalkanin. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.
(REF E176 .A596 2004)
Essays on each of the 65 former Secretaries of State covering their background, education, influences, careers, their expression of ideas about U.S. foreign policy before being appointed, tenure in office, accomplishments, shortcomings, and a post-career summary.

United States Government Manual. Washington: Government Printing Office, annual.
(REF JK421 A3)
A directory of all U.S. government agencies, with names of major officials.

U.S. Legislative Branch

Almanac of American Politics.
Michael Barone, Grant Ujifusa, & Richard E. Cohen. Washington: National Journal, 2000.
(REF JK1012 A44 2000)
A detailed guide to the politics of each state and congressional district, with background information on each governor and member of Congress, as well as voting data.

Congress and the Nation. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1948- .
(REF JK261 C6)
A discussion of key issues in each presidential term (one volume devoted to a term). Each volume is organized first by topic, and then chronologically by the order in which the issues arose. The appendix provides speeches, cabinet members, and nominations of each president, election results, congressional rmembers and the votes in congress, as well as an extensive index by topic.

Congressional Quarterly Almanac. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, annual (to 1997).
(REF JK1 C66)
An annual summary of the actions of the U.S. Congress. Appendices list important roll call votes and analyze voting blocs.

The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress. Donald C. Bacon, Robert H. Davidson, and Morton Keller. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
(REF JK1067 E63 1995)
A four-volume set of articles on topics and individuals of the United States Congress. This title features biographies of members of congress, discussions of topics and issues historically integral to the workings of congress, and major bills and legislation passed, and explanations of the procedures and processes of the congress.

U.S. Judicial Branch and Law

The Bill of Rights. Ed. by Thomas T. Lewis. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2002.
(REF KF4750 B55 2002)
Vol. 1 contains overviews of the Bill of Rights in U.S. history and law, articles about each amendment, and essays addressing related issues. Vol. 2 contains brief articles on related court cases through June, 2001.

The Complete Bill of Rights: The Drafts, Debates, Sources, and Origins. Ed. by Neil H. Cogan. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
(REF KF4744 1997) The drafts and proposals of the first ten amendments to the constitution. Each section also includes ensuing discussions, newspaper articles, letters, and relevant caselaw from that period.

Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-1995. John R. Vile. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1996.
(REF KF4557 V555 1996)
Brief articles on topics revolving around constitutional amendments, passed and proposed. A chronology of events and an extensive events are included.

Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. 2nd ed. Ed. by Leonard W. Levy and Kenneth L. Karst. New York: Macmillan, 2000.
(REF KF4548 E53 2000)
Articles on the U.S. Constitution, including major cases, individual amendments, and issues. A set of 15 articles covers constitutional history. Includes case, name, and subject indexes. 6 volumes.

Encyclopedia of the U.S. Supreme Court. Ed. by Thomas T. Lewis, et al. Pasadena: Salem Press, 2001.
(REF KF8742 A35 E53 2001)
More than 1,075 essays on topics, issues, and court decisions since the Court's inception in 1789. Includes case and subject indexes. 3 Volumes.

Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court. 3rd ed. Joan Biskupic and Elder Witt. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1997.
(REF KF8742 W567 1997)
Extensive articles discussing the role of the Supreme Court in societal and cultural issues, outlining major decisions that have affected these issues. This two-volume set also includes biographical sketches of the Supreme Court Justices, chronologies of decisions and nominations, explanatory sections on the procedures and rules of the court, a subject index, and an index by case names.

U.S. Political Parties and Elections

America at the Polls: A Handbook of American Presidential Election Statistics.Alice V. McGillivray and Richard M. Scammon. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1994.
(REF JK524 A73 1994)
Results of all presidential elections dating back to 1920, with electoral college, popular vote, and statistics by county.

Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to U.S. Elections. 4th ed. Ed. by John L. Moore, et al.
(REF JK1967 C662 2001)
An encyclopedia of political parties and presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections from 1788 to 2000. Includes election returns. 2 volumes.

The Encyclopedia of the Republican Party; The Encyclopedia of the Democratic Party. Ed. by George Thomas Kurian.
Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 1997.
(REF JK2352 K87 1997)
Vols. 1 and 2 cover the Republican Party, while 3 and 4 cover the Democratic Party. Vols. 1 and 3 include articles on issues and ideology, and biographies of party leaders. Vols. 2 and 4 are histories of elections. Supplementary volumes update the information through 2001. 6 volumes.

The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America. Ed. by Immanual Ness and James Ciment. New York: Sharpe Reference, 2000.
(REF JK2261 E474 2000)
Essays review the history of third political parties; maps show voter support; articles examine each party; and biographical entries cover individuals. Includes subject, biographical, and geographical indexes. 3 volumes.

History of U.S. Political Parties. Ed. by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2002.
(REF JK2261 H66 2002)
Covers the major political parties from 1789 to 2001. Includes an index. 5 volumes.

U.S. State and Local Government

The Massachusetts Political Almanac. Centerville, MA: Center for Leadership Studies, annual.
(REF JK3130 A6)
A directory of legislative, executive, and judicial officials, including brief biographies and job descriptions.

The Municipal Year Book. Washington: International City/County Management Association, annual.
(REF JS344 C5 A24)
A collection of articles on management issues in local government and relations of local governments with state and federal governments. Includes data on salaries in local government and a national directory of local officials.

The State and Local Government Political Dictionary. Jeffrey M. Elliott and Sheikh R. Ali. San Bernardino: Borgo Press, 1995.
(REF JK2408 E44 1995)
Brief articles on institutions and concepts in state and local government.

Databases: Library Catalog and Periodical Indexes
Use to locate books and journal articles.

Ely Library Catalog
. For books, audio-visual materials, etc. in the Ely Library.
(Internet Site: http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/)
To find subject terms, use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (Ely Reference Desk) or browse the online catalog for ideas.
For more information on using the library catalog, see our guide to Searching the Ely Library Catalog.

The following are examples of subject headings for political science topics:
United States—Foreign Relations United States—Politics and Government
(The above subheadings can be added to any place name)
Communism
Comparative government
Conservatism
Constitutional Law
Constitutions
Democracy
Dictatorship
Elections
Executive power
Fascism
Ideology
International relations
Legislation
Liberalism
Local government
Nationalism
Political parties
Political psychology
Political science
Political sociology
Power (Social Sciences)
Socialism
State governments
World politics

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#WPSA)
Provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration / policy. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

CQ Researcher Online Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher)
From Congressional Quarterly, a database of full-text reports on contemporary political and social issues written by top journalists. The reports include background and history, statistics, charts, pro and con analysis of the issue, and a bibliography of sources.

Congressional Research Service Reports

(Internet Site: http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/searchform.tkl)
This site indexes the many reports created by the CRS. The reports cover a wide variety of topics, providing research on issues which have been relevant to congressional legislation and federal governance. The subjects range from conservation to social services to defense policy and international relations. Many of these reports are not only indexed, but accessible via links to public websites. The database can be searched by title, author, subject, keyword, and report number. Boolean searching is also supported.

Sociological Abstracts
Limited to WSC community use

(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Soc Abs)
This database indexes and abstracts journal articles and books in sociology and social work, including much of relevance to politics. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Academic Search Premier Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Academic)
A scholarly database of journals and magazines, many available in full text. Covers most academic subjects, including political science. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Expanded Academic ASAP Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Expanded Academic)
A scholarly database of journals and magazines, many available in full text. Covers most academic subjects, including political science. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

Criminal Justice Abstracts Limited to WSC community use
(Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Criminal Justice Abstracts)
This database indexes and abstracts journal articles and books in criminology, criminal law, and law enforcement. For more information on using this database, see our Search Guide.

DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals
(Internet site: http://www.doaj.org)
This service covers 1642 free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals covering all subjects and languages. Subject areas covered include: Law and Political Science, Business and Economics, History and Archaeology, and Philosophy and Religion.


Logo of Westfield State College
URL: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/guidpols.htm
Page maintained by Oliver Zeff
Last updated August 10, 2007