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This is a selective guide to resources at Columbia University Libraries and on the Internet, for conducting research on the U.S. executive branch and the presidency. Most of the items included are available in Lehman Library, either in the U.S. Government Documents collection, Lehman, or the Lehman stacks. For other locations and titles, check CLIO. Prior to 1976, U.S. Federal government documents are mostly located in Butler Library and can be located through the Butler Card Catalog.

For resources on Presidential Campaigns & Elections, consult that guide, at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/usgd/campaign.html.



Research Guides & Bibliographies

The Executive Office of the President: a Historical, Biographical, and Bibliographical Guide.
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1997.
JK 552 .E94 1997 - Lehman
R016.353 Ex31 - Butler Reference
National First Ladies Library: Online Bibliography
Glennon, Michael J.
When No Majority Rules: the Electoral College and Presidential Succession.
Washington, DC : Congressional Quarterly, 1993.
JK 529 .G58 1992 - Lehman
Goehlert, Robert.
The Executive Branch of the U.S. Government: a Bibliography.
New York : Greenwood Press, 1989.
Z 7165 .U5 G56 1989 - Lehman
R016.973 G548 - Butler Reference
Martin, Fenton S.
How to Research the Presidency.
Washington, DC : Congressional Quarterly, 1996.
Z 1249.P7 M365 1996 - Lehman
R016.973 M3633 - Butler Reference
Sears, Jean L.
Using Government Information Sources: Print and Electronic. 3rd ed.
Phoenix : Oryx Press, 2001.
Z 1223 .Z7 S4 2001 - Lehman Desk
Several chapters serve as excellent guides: the President, Regulations and Administrative Actions, Administrative Decisions, and numerous subject searches. Highly recommended.



Indexes and Databases

ABC Pol Sci: Advance Bibliography of Contents, Political Science and Government. Monthly.
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 1969-1995.
Z 7161 .A214 - Lehman
A Table of Contents list, author and subject index to journals in the fields. Since 1984, also available as part of Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, below.
Catalog of United States Government Publications (MOCAT). Daily. 1976-
The basic index to U.S. Government publications, now on the web.
CIS Index To Presidential Executive Orders And Proclamations. 22 vols.
Bethesda, MD : Congressional Information Service, 1987.
KF 70 .A55 1986 - Law
Indexes over 75,000 presidential orders and proclamations issued from 1789 to 1983. The Law Library also has the microfiche collection of full text.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community International Political Science Abstracts. Online 1989-present, updated quarterly.
Paris: International Political Science Association, 1951-
JA 36 .I5 - Lehman (1951-1999)
R053 In8 - Butler Reference
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community LexisNexis Statistical. Monthly.
Washington, D.C. Congressional Information Service, 1973-
The LexisNexis Statistical database provides comprehensive access to statistical data. Many of the U.S. government sources are linked to the full text of the data, while state, private, and IGO sources are cited, allowing the researcher to then locate the statistical source in the library, either in print or as part of the microfiche service which accompanies the printed index.
Print versions are:
  • American Statistics Index (ASI): Z 7554 .U5 A46 - Lehman
  • Index to International Statistics (IIS): Z 7552 .I53 - Lehman
  • Statistical Reference Index (SRI): HA 202 .S8 - Business Reference

Service restricted to members of the Columbia community National Journal Group’s Policy Central Monthly. 1976-
A collection of resources on U.S. politics and policy, including the National Journal, The Hotline, CongressDaily, Technology Daily, Poll Track, Ad spotlight, and The Almanac of American Politics. Also provides Congressional markup reports and update reports on key legislation.
United States Political Science Documents. Annual (Ceased).
Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1975-1991.
JA 51 .U55 - Lehman
Indexed and abstracted major journals in political science, history, economics, public administration, foreign policy, international affairs, and related areas.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
The database contains abstracts of books and articles from professional journals and major news magazines, devoted to North American and international politics.



Directories

Federal Staff Directory. Semiannual.
Mount Vernon, VA : Congressional Staff Directory, 1982-
JK 274 .F316 - Lehman
Pearson, Joyce A. McCray.
U.S. Government Directories, 1982-1995.
Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998.
R016.353 P31 - Butler Reference
Z 7165.U5 P42 1998 - Lehman
Earlier edition, 1970-1981, at Z 7164.A2 G685 1984 - Lehman.
U.S. Government Manual. Annual. 1973/74-
JK 421 .Un34 - Lehman
AE 2.108/2:[yr] - Offsite
The organization manual for the Federal government.
Washington Representatives. Annual.
Washington, Columbia Books, 1979-
JK 1118 .W38 - Lehman
A compilation of Washington representatives of the major national associations, labor unions and U.S. companies; registered foreign agents; lobbyists; lawyers; law firms; and special interest groups, together with their clients and areas of legislative and regulatory concern.



Background Information

The American Experience: the Presidents
A web site from PBS, with transcripts and supplementary information about each presentation in the series.
The American Presidency Project
A web site from the Dept. of Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara. It contains many useful full text documents, including the inaugural addresses, State of the Union addresses, national political party platforms, and Public Papers of the Presidents (1929-1993).
American President.org
A web site from Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, which presents detailed information on both the history of the presidency and its current functional elements
American Presidential Campaigns and Elections. 3 vols.
Armonk, N.Y. : Sharpe Reference, c2003.
JK 1965 .A57 2003 - Lehman
Atlas of United States Presidential Elections: 1932-1996.
Richmond, VA : Klipsan Press, 1997.
JK 1967 .M55 1997g - Lehman
The Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, at American University
The Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS) provides an integrated teaching, research, and study program focusing on Congress and the presidency and the interactions of these two basic American institutions.
Commission on Presidential Debates
Face-to-face presidential debates in the 20th century began their broadcast history in 1948. Republicans Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen faced each other in a radio debate during the Oregon Republican presidential primary. This site presents the full text of debates from 1960, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. There is also much supplementary material relating to Presidential debates.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community CQ Voting and Elections Collection
Integrates data, authoritative analyses, concise explanations, and historical material to provide a research and reference tool on voting and elections in America. From the American voter, to major and minor political parties, to actual races for Congress, the presidency, and governorships, the collection provides context-driven intelligence on the state of elections in America. Chronological coverage varies by office. Presidential coverage begins 1789. Election data can be downloaded.
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
Past General Elections provides detailed information on national results for the major and minor candidates for U.S. President in the general elections from 1860 to 2004. Individual year pages include candidates, parties, popular and electoral vote totals, maps, charts, and voter turnout (1932-2000). In addition, there are state results pages for years 1960 through 2000 with county-level maps and data.
Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations. 2 vols.
Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., c1973-
JK 468 .C7 E52 - Latest Ed. in Lehman
JK 468 .C7 E52 - Latest Ed. in Butler Reference
Encyclopedia of Interest Groups and Lobbyists in the United States. 2 vols.
Armonk, NY : Sharpe Reference, c2000.
JK 1118 .N47 2000 - Lehman
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. 6 vols.
New York : Macmillan Reference USA, c2000.
KF 4548 .E53 2000 - Lehman, Barnard Reference
R342.733 En191 - Butler Reference
Encyclopedia of the American Presidency. 4 vols.
New York : Simon & Schuster, 1994.
JK 511 .E53 1994 - Lehman, Barnard Reference
R973 En194 - Butler Reference
The Executive Office of the President: a Historical, Biographical, and Bibliographical Guide.
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1997.
JK 552 .E94 1997 - Lehman
R016.353 Ex31 - Butler Reference
Government Agencies.
Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 1983.
JK 421 .G65 1983 - Lehman
R353 G746 - Butler Reference
Lengthy profiles of over 100 U.S. government agencies, with bibliographies. Highly recommended.
The Great Debate & Beyond: the History of Televised Presidential Debates
A site created by the Museum of Broadcast Communications, it begins with a lengthy analysis of the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate, then examines subsequent presidential debates and the influence of television on the political process. The site utilizes video clips, photos, news headlines, and documents in each section.
Grossman, Mark.
Encyclopedia of the United States Cabinet. 3 vols.
Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c2000.
E 176 .G89 2000 - Lehman
Guide to the Presidency. 3rd ed. 2 vols.
Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, 2002.
JK 516 .C57 2002- Lehman
R320.8 G94 - Butler Reference
A Historical Encyclopedia of U.S. Presidential Use of Force, 1789-2000.
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2001.
R342.735 H6293 - Butler Reference
A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government.
New York : Oxford University Press, 1998.
JK 9 .H57 1998 - Lehman
R328.734 H629 - Butler Reference
Brief histories of all executive departments and agencies, with an appendix of many of the most important laws, acts, and executive orders which have shaped government administration.
Kane, Joseph N.
Facts About the Presidents: a Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. 7th ed.
New York : H.W. Wilson, 2001.
E 176.1 .K3 2001 - Lehman, Barnard Reference
King, Gary.
The Elusive Executive: Discovering Statistical Patterns in the Presidency.
Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, 1988.
JK 516 .K46 1988 - Lehman
A fascinating distillation of facts surrounding the presidency, such as Occupational Background of Major Cabinet and Diplomatic Appointees, 1789-1980 or The Cost to Taxpayers of Former Presidents, 1955-1987.
The Living Room Candidate: a History of Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2004
This site, presented by the American Museum of the Moving Image, offers video clips of presidential campaign commercials, and supporting materials.
Making Democracy Work: a Brief History of Twentieth Century Federal Executive Reorganization
A detailed study of executive branch reorganization, from the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs.
McGillivray, Alice V.
America at the Polls, 1960-2000 John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush : a Handbook of American Presidential Election Statistics.
Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, c2001.
JK 524 .A73 2001 - Lehman
R324.73 M175 - Butler Reference
Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies
The Library of Congress has extensive resources for the study of the United States presidents and first ladies. Frequent requests for presidential portraits inspired Prints and Photographs Division staff to compile this ready reference aid of formal and informal pictures in the division's custody. The selected images include at least one likeness of each of the forty-one presidents and most of the first ladies.
Presidential Elections 1789 - 2000: Maps
These Presidential Elections printable maps show electoral votes won, by political party, for the fifty-four Presidential elections from George Washington in 1789 to George W. Bush in 2000.
The Presidential Elections 1860-1912 [Political Cartoons]
Features cartoons from Harper's Weekly, Vanity Fair, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, Puck, and the Library of Congress Collection of American Political Prints: 1766-1876.
Presidential Inaugurations
"I Do Solemnly Swear . . .": Presidential Inaugurations is a collection of approximately 400 items or 2,000 digital files from each of the 62 inaugurations from George Washington's in 1789 to George W. Bush in 2001. This presentation includes diaries and letters of presidents and of those who witnessed inaugurations, handwritten drafts of inaugural addresses, broadsides, inaugural tickets and programs, prints, photographs, and sheet music. The selections are drawn from the Presidential Papers in the Manuscript Division and from the collections of the Prints and Photographs Division, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Music Division, and the General Collections of the Library of Congress.
Presidential Libraries
News from the National Archives about the presidential libraries, and links to each library web site.
Presidential Pardons
Presidential Pardons: a website from Jurist, which presents a guide "for scholars, policy-makers and citizens interested in the law of Presidential pardons."
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney
The Office of the Pardon Attorney, in consultation with the Attorney General or his designee, assists the President in the exercise of executive clemency as authorized under Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution. The site includes clemency statistics and recipients.
Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century
The Presidential Timeline provides a single point of access to an ever-growing selection of digitized assets from the collections of the twelve Presidential Libraries of the National Archives. Among these assets you’ll find documents, photographs, audio recordings, and video relating to the events of the presidents’ lives. The goal of the project is to make these resources readily and freely available to students, educators, and adult learners throughout the world.
The Presidents: a Reference History. 3rd ed.
New York : Scribner's, 2002.
R973 P9211 - Butler Reference
Presidents of the United States (POTUS), from the Internet Public Library
An impressive compilation of material about each President, including election results, highlights of the term, cabinet members, and links to internet biographies and historic documents.
Presidents, Vice Presidents, Cabinet Members, Supreme Court Justices, 1789-2003 : Vital and Official Data
Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 2003.
JK 6 .P74 2003 - Lehman
Very handy lists of pertinent facts about office holders through the G.W. Bush administration. Includes exact dates of appointment, confirmation, oath-taking, "official" day in office, resignation tendered or requested, day it became effective, "last" day in office, and their ages at each of these dates.
Ragsdale, Lyn.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Vital Statistics on the Presidency: Washington to Clinton. Revised ed.
Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, 1998.
JK 518 .R34 1998 - Lehman
The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections.
New York : Routledge, 2001.
G 1201 .S1 M5 2001 - Butler
Southwick, Leslie H.
Presidential Also-rans and Running Mates, 1788 Through 1996. 2nd ed.
Jefferson, NC : McFarland & Co., c1998.
E175.1 .S695 1998 - Butler
Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of ...
Since 1920, the Clerk of the House has collected and published the official vote counts for federal elections from the official sources among the various states and territories. These documents, out of print for many years, have been collected and scanned in a format to make them once again available to researchers and students.
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
TRAC was established in 1989 as a research center at Syracuse University. Its purpose is to provide comprehensive information about the activities of federal enforcement and regulatory agencies, their day-to-day activities, agency priorities and practices, changes over time, impact of a new law on agency activities, etc. TRAC's information about the federal government's enforcement and regulatory effort is based on masses of detailed data that it obtains from federal agencies through the systematic and informed use of the Freedom of Information Act. There are currently six TRAC web sites: Reports, ATF, FBI,DHS, and IRS.
The United States Executive Branch: a Biographical Directory of Heads of State and Cabinet Officials. 2 vols.
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2003.
R041.09 So12 - Butler Reference
VicePresidents.com
Everything about the V-P.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Vital Statistics on American Politics. Annual.
Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, 1988-
JK 274 .S74 - Lehman
White House Tapes Archives: LBJ
The White House Tapes Archive contains private telephone conversations released by the Presidential Libraries, from C-SPAN.
Who's Who in American Politics. Biennial.
New York : Bowker, 1967/68-
E176 .W48 - Lehman
R041 W696 - Latest in Butler Reference



Executive Office of the President/The White House

This section concerns the activities and publications of the President and those executive branch agencies which report directly to the President, rather than through the Cabinet Departments, which are covered in the next section.
Official US Executive Branch Web Sites, from the Library of Congress
The White House Web Site
Presidential Transition Guide to Federal Human Resources Management
A guide on human resources and ethical conduct to ensure the smooth and orderly transfer of power in federal agencies during the change of administrations following the 2008 presidential election, from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
White House Offices and Agencies

American Presidents : Farewell Messages to the Nation, 1796-2001.
Lanham : Lexington Books, c2003.
J81.4 .A46 2003 - Butler
Executive Office of the President: a Historical, Biographical, and Bibliographical Guide.
Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 1997.
JK 552 .E94 1997 - Lehman
R016.353 Ex31 - Butler Reference
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States. Rev. ed.
Bedford, Mass. : Applewood Books, [2000]-[2001]
R973 Un333 - Butler
Web version from Bartleby.com extends through George W. Bush.
OMB Watch
OMB Watch has a long history of encouraging the public's right-to-know and public access to government information. During the 1990s, OMB Watch expanded its role to include oversight of policy and legislative issues that address public access to government information.
Plischke, Elmer.
Presidential Diplomacy: a Chronology of Summit Visits, Trips, and Meetings.
Dobbs Ferry, NY : Oceana Publications, 1986.
E 176.1 .P75 1986 - Lehman
See also, Visits Abroad of the Presidents of the United States, 1906-2004, U.S. Dept. of State
The President's Daily Brief
A description of the Daily Brief and the controversy surrounding it, along with links to a few declassified briefs; from the National Security Archive.
Presidential Records, National Archives and Records Administration:
Access to Presidential Records
Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978
Executive Order 13233, November 1, 2001
-- Further Implementation of the Presidential Records Act: gives former and incumbent presidents veto power over the release of records.
Presidential Vetoes, 1789-1988.
Washington, D.C. : GPO, 1992.
Y 1.3:S.PUB.102-12 - U.S. Government Documents
Presidential Vetoes, 1989-2000, Office of the Secretary of the Senate, 2001
Presidential Vetoes, 2001-present, Office of the Secretary of the Senate, 2001
The Presidential Veto and Congressional Procedure, from the Congressional Research Service, February 2004
Statements of Administration Policy (1997-present)
Official executive branch policy on legislation scheduled for House or Senate floor action. Indices of these statements are listed by bill number with links to the full text of the statements as transmitted to Congress.
United States. President.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897. 10 vols.
Washington : G.P.0., 1896-99.
J 81 .B96 - Butler
United States. President.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President.
Washington : National Archives and Records Administration, 1957-
J 80 .A2831 - Butler
From 1929 through 1933 and 1945 through 1976, the Public Papers consisted of an edited version of the Weekly Compilation (below). From 1977 to 1988, it included virtually all of the Weekly Compilation material. From 1988 the texts of proclamations and executive orders are not included, although references to the location of the texts in the Federal Register are given.
Web versions:
Executive Order 13233: Further Implementation of the Presidential Records Act, November 5, 2001: sets new restrictions on the release of Presidential papers.

Additional, "unofficial" public papers:
  • There is also a CD-ROM version, Presidential Papers, Washington-Clinton, located in the Electronic Text Service, 504 Butler.
  • The Public Papers of Woodrow Wilson. 3 vols.
    Temecula, California : Reprint Services Corporation, 1992.
    E 660 .W72 1992g - Butler
  • The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt. 13 vols.
    New York, Russell & Russell, 1969, c1938-1950.
    JV 82 .D6 1969 - Butler
Cumulated Indexes to the Public Papers of the Presidents.
Millwood, N.Y. : KTO Press, c1929-
J 80 .A2831 - Butler
United States. President.
The State of the Union Messages of the Presidents, 1790-1966. 3 vols.
New York : Chelsea House, 1966.
J 81 .C66 - Burgess
973 Un3394 - Butler
Web version - State of the Union Messages; texts of the State of the Union addresses, from the American Presidency Prolect, at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Origins and Authorization for the State of the Union Address
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. Weekly. 1976-
AE 2.109: - Offsite
Web versions: 1993-present, Service restricted to members of the Columbia community 1965-2004

Issued each Monday, it contains the statements of the President and related materials (appointments & nominations, communications to Congress, executive orders, executive decisions, presidential signing statements, etc.) for the previous week. The most comprehensive source of presidential materials.
See The Legal Significance of Presidential Signing Statements, from the Dept. of Justice (1993) for a discussion of the utilization of Presidential signings and their legal standing.



Executive Orders and Proclamations

Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government. The text of Executive orders appears in the daily Federal Register as each Executive order is signed by the President and also appears in the sequential editions of Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Executive Orders and Proclamations: [Background and Overview], from the Congressional Research Service
Guide to Locating Executive Orders and Proclamations, Univ. of Florida, Levin College of Law




CIS Index To Presidential Executive Orders And Proclamations. 22 vols.
Bethesda, MD : Congressional Information Service, 1987.
F 70 .A55 1986 - Law
Indexes over 75,000 presidential orders and proclamations issued from 1789 to 1983. The Law Library also has the microfiche collection of full text.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 3: Annual Compilation of Executive Orders and Proclamations
A.3 C642 - Law Microfiche (1938-present)
To find the full text of executive orders online, go to the Code of Federal Regulations on GPO Access, select " Browse and/or search the CFR" and select Title 3 for the year(s) needed.
Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders, from the National Archives
This reference provides access to the edited and re-arranged text of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders from April 13, 1945 - January 20, 1989. It includes indexes and disposition tables.
Executive Orders Issued by President George W. Bush
John F. Kennedy Executive Orders
All 214 E.O.s issued by JFK, with indexes by number, date, title, and keyword, from the University of Michigan.
Presidential Directives and Executive Orders, from the Federation of American Scientists
Includes National Security Decision Directives, National Security Directives, Presidential Decision and Review Directives, Presidential Review Memorandums, and Executive Orders, from the Truman Administration to the present, some with links to full text.
United States. President.
Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders, April 13, 1945-January 20, 1989.
AE 2.113:945-89 - Offsite
A subject arrangement of executive orders (Truman-Reagan) that remain in force, with any amendments incorporated. Includes separate finding lists for proclamations and orders, with a subject index.



Presidential Directives

Presidential directives relate to national security, and are issued by the National Security Council after being signed or authorized by the President. Directives have been issued by every president since Truman, and have had a variety of names.

Presidential Directives and Where to Find Them, from the Library of Congress
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Presidential Directives: Background and Overview, from the Congressional Research Service


Simpson, Christopher.
National Security Directives of the Reagan & Bush Administrations: the Declassified History of U.S. Political & Military Policy, 1981-1991.
Boulder, CO : Westview Press, 1994.
E 876 .S5 1994 - Lehman
Reproduces, discusses, and indexes hundreds of National Security Decision Directives (NSDDs), mostly retrieved via FOIA requests to the National Security Council and the Government Accountability Office. They fall into eight major categories: nuclear weapons, negotiations with allies and rivals, U.S. policy on "hot" issues, "secret" or "fugitive" law, U.S. technology policy, resolution of turf disputes within the federal security bureaucracy, intelligence-tasking orders, and briefing papers for the President.
Presidential Directives and Executive Orders
Lists, by administration, of the numbered directives, their titles and dates, and links to the text, if available.
Presidential Directives on National Security from Truman to Clinton.
Alexandria, Va. : Chadwyck-Healey ; <Washington, D.C.> : National Security Archive, c1994.
MICFICHE FX3 5770 Guide - Lehmans
An index and guide to presidential directives, Truman to Clinton, with microfiche reproductions of the documents themselves, when available. Obtained mostly through FOIA requests.
Presidential Directives on National Security, Part II: From Harry Truman to George W. Bush.
Alexandria, Va. : Chadwyck-Healey ; <Washington, D.C.> : National Security Archive, c2004.
Presidential Directives on National Security, Part II is a follow-on publication to Presidential Directives on National Security From Truman to Clinton, which was published in 1994. As with the first volume, this collection consists of the highest-level documents issued by modern U.S. presidents pertaining to all elements of U.S. national security policy—foreign policy, defense policy, intelligence, international economic policy, as well as organizational structure and initiatives. The publication of Part II has been made possible by the declassification since 1994 of a substantial number of previously unavailable records.
Both sets can be searched online via the Service restricted to members of the Columbia community  Digital National Security Archive database.
Presidential Review Memoranda (PRM) and Presidential Directives (PD)
A list, with links to full text, of directives from the Carter administration, 1977-1981.
United States. General Accounting Office.
National Security: the Use of Presidential Directives to Make and Implement U.S. Policy (1992)



Cabinet Departments

This section concerns the activities and publications of Cabinet level departments within the executive branch.
Executive departments and their component agencies issue a variety of publications during the year:
  • Annual Reports - what the agency did in the past year, but often self-serving, lacks details
  • Annual Budget Hearings before Congress - a better source
  • Annual Statistical Reports - different titles for each agency, not all produce them; not about activities of agency itself, but about an area of responsibility of the agency, i.e., The State of Small Business, Uniform Crime Reports, etc.
  • Indexes and Abstracts - EPA Bibliography, Index Medicus, etc.
  • Periodicals - Infantry, National Food Review, State, etc.
  • Subject Reports and Publications
  • Agencies' Communications to Congress: Links to web sites of executive agencies which display testimony presented to Congress, as well as other information.

For more detailed information on the State Department and Foreign Policy Resources, consult that guide, at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/lehman/guides/foreign.html.




Independent Federal Agencies & Commissions

This section concerns the activities and publications of those agencies and commissions which are established by the President, but whose actions are supposed to be independent of direct control by the White House.

For more detailed information on the C.I.A. and the U.S. Intelligence Community, consult that guide, at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/lehman/guides/intell.html.
Annual Report of the President on Federal Advisory Committees.
Washington, D.C. : General Services Administration, 1972-1998.
Similar information now available from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Database
Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations. Irregular.
Detroit : Gale Research, 1973-
JK 468 .C7 E52 - Lehman, Latest in Butler Reference
Includes entries for over 6,800 permanent, continuing, and od hoc U.S. Presidential Advisory Committees, Congressional Advisory Committees, Public Advisory Committees, Interagency Committees, and other government-related boards, panels, task forces, commissions, conferences, and other similar bodies, from 1837 to the present.
Smith, Stephanie.
Federal Advisory Committees : a Primer.
New York : Novinka Books, c2002.
KF 5125 .Z9 S63 2002 - Lehman
Zink, Steven D.
Guide to the Presidential Advisory Commissions, 1973-84.
Alexandria, VA : Chadwyck-Healey, 1987.
JK 468 .C7 Z56 1987 - Lehman



Regulatory Role

When Congress passes a law, often it cannot describe every detail of the implementation of that law. Instead, it authorizes various executive departments and agencies to write the rules and regulations which implement the intention of the law. Congress will describe the broad area of regulatory mandate, but the executive agency is responsible for filling in the specifics and administering the regulations, via the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

For a detailed explanation and review of documents and resources related to the regulatory process, consult the guide U.S. Government Documents: the Regulatory Process.




Budget

Budget of the United States Government. Annual.
Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1952-
HJ 2051 .Un31 - Lehman Non-circulating
Proposal issued by the President, often with various supporting appendices and tables; it indicates Presidential goals and priorities for the next fiscal year. It includes a description of the economic assumptions on which the budget is based, and and detailed agency programs and expenditures.

For a detailed explanation and review of documents and resources related to the budget process, consult the guide U.S. Government Documents: The Budget Process.




Periodicals

Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Congress & the Presidency. Semiannual.
Washington, D.C. : American University, 1981-
JK 1021 .C592 - Lehman
GovExec.com: the Independent Business Magazine of Government
Government Executive's essential editorial mission is to cover the business of the federal government and its huge departments and agencies--dozens of which dwarf the largest institutions in the private sector. It aspires to serve the people who manage these huge agencies and programs in much the way that Fortune, Forbes, and Business Week serve private-sector managers. Includes the ability to search their two databases: The Top 200 Federal Contractors, and Who's Who in Government Technology.
Miller Center Journal. Annual, ceased publication.
Charlottesville, VA : Miller Center Journal, 1994-1998.
JK 501 .M54 - Lehman
Miller Center Report
OMB Watch Executive Report
A monthly online report that will come out on the third Wednesday of each month, designed to take an in-depth look at a variety of executive branch issues. This includes issues such as electronic government, information policy, the regulatory process, devolution, enforcement of health, safety and environmental protections, as well as other cross-cutting issues dealing with government accountability.
Service restricted to members of the Columbia community Presidential Studies Quarterly.
New York : Center for the Study of the Presidency, 1976-
JK 501 .C44 - Lehman