This social policy page has resources that may help you with your social welfare/policy class assignments. For the assignments, it is easier to work with a bill that became a law. It is more difficult to work with bills that died in committee or are currently active in Congress. At the federal level, Congress.gov has a limit, "Became Law," which filters out the bills that died in committee or are currently active in Congress.
When searching for articles on the origins of legislation, consider using some of the following words in the title field along with keywords related to your law: Background Congress* Develop* Enact* Histor* House Legislat* Origin* Overview Representative* Review Senat*
Anniversary articles often include history. Consider: Anniversary Birthday "5 yr" "5 year*" "five year*" "10 yr" "10 year*" "ten year*" "20 yr" "20 year*" "twenty year*" "50 yr" "50 year*" "fifty year*" "100 yr" "100 year*" "hundred year*"
Words for the bill's path: Act Agree* Amend* Approve* Bill Clear* Compromis* Conference* Engrossed Enrolled Move* Pass* Reconcil* Reauthoriz* Send* Sent Signed Version* Vote*
When searching for journal articles, the following words may be helpful: allocat* appropriat* budget* charg* cost* dollar* economic* expend* expense* fee fees financ* fiscal* fund funded funding funds income* money* monies pay* reimburs* revenue* spend* spent tax*
Indexing and full text of over 1,025 legal journals, law reviews, yearbooks, institutes, statutes, bar association publications, university publications, and government publications.
A digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. These periodicals were produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century.
Many associations, institutes, interest groups, research centers, think tanks, etc. produce opinion pieces, policy briefs, working papers, etc. Many of their websites have search boxes or list the publications in a publications tab or a research tab. To find these organizations, consider the following resources.
Public policy database with millions of reports, working papers, policy briefs, data sources, and media drawn from a directory of more than 25,000 IGOs, NGOs, think tanks, and research centers on disciplines including agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, diversity, crime, and librarianship. The library has access to North American Cities Reports and Global Think Tanks. Both are searchable through Policy Commons.
Certain government resources are cited differently. Consult these style guides if you use government resources.
The following words may help you as you conduct searches for the pro/con of a topic.
ASSESS terms:
accountab* analys* analyz* argu* assess* background cause* choice*
choosing chose* comparative comparing comparison conclud* conclusion*
debat* determin* differences dilemma* discuss* effects evaluat* examin*
expert* factor* future implement* indicator* issues judg* look*
measur* option* outcome* outlook overview* perspective* policy
prefer* principle* re-examin* reason* reexamin* research*
result* review* status summary
PRO terms:
accomplish* achiev* advoca* affect* affirm* agree* approv* assent*
backer* beneficial* benefit* best better capable "case for" champion compliant*
complies comply* concordance* concur* consent* cure* defend desire*
effective* embrace endorse enhanc* fantastic* favor favors favorable for friend*
gain* good great happy help* impact* importan* improv* "in favor of"
keep learn* like* love malleable merit* opinion* opportunit* permission*
permit* persua* position positive* praise* praising preach* pro progress*
promise* promote proponent* pros prove* proving realit* recommend* right*
solution* solve* solving strength* "subscribe to" succeed* success* support*
truth* understand* upgrad* uphold* value* win winner* winning* wins
won wonderful* work*
CON terms:
acced* acquiesce* adverse aftermath against alter* antagonist*
anti awful* backlash bad barrier* battl* bitter* block blunder* bump
"case against" catastroph* cautio* challeng* change* changing con
concern* conflict* confus* cons consequence* constrain*
contentio* contest* contrary controvers* cost* critic* critiqu*
damag* danger* defeat* defer* deficien* deficit* deleterious*
demand* destroy* destructive deter* detract* detriment* difficult*
disadvantage disagree* disapprove* discontent* discordance*
discourag* dislike* dismal*
drawback* error* evil* exclud* exclusion* fail* fallac* false falter*
farce* fault* fear* fight* fix* flaw* foe foes folly* forbear* forebod*
forego* forsak* fought hamper* harm* hate* hazardous hinder*
hindrance* horrible* hurdle* hurt* impair* impasse* imped*
imperil* implicat* inaccessib* inaccura* inappropriat* ineffective*
inhibit* insufficien* interfer* jeopardize judg* kill* lack* leaves
lesson* lies limit* lose* losing loss* malarky malcontent*
misconception* misconduct* mistake* misunderstand*
modifi* modify* myth* negative* nightmare* obstacle* obstruct*
opponent* oppose* opposing opposition peril* perplex* pitfall*
portend* preclud* preclusion* predicament* prevent* problem*
protest* ramification rancor* reduc* reform* repeal* rescind*
resist* rethink* re-think*
revamp* revise* revision* rhetoric* risk* roadblock* rotten*
ruin ruinous shortcoming* skeptic* "stumbling block*" terrible*
thwart* transform* trouble* tyrann* undermin* unfavorable
unintended unsuccess* untruth* vex* weak* weakness* withdraw*
withhold* worse worsen wrong* yield*
