Government and Politics
Voting Records and Related Statistics
- Vital Statistics on American Politics 2015-2016Call Number: EbookPublication Date: 2015-08-26Contains more than 200 tables and charts on a wide range of subjects relating to American politics and government. Use this resource to find data relating to the following topics: elections and political parties, campaign finance and political action committees, public opinion and voting, the media, congress, the presidency, the judiciary, federal and state finance, foreign policy, military, social and economic policy.
- The Almanac of American PoliticsCall Number: JK271 .B343Provides a brief political history of each state and Congressional district in the U.S., with profiles of each of the incumbent Governors, Senators and Representatives. Information on elected officials includes biographic details, ratings by 11 interest groups and the National Journal, voting record, and election results.
- Directory of Congressional Voting Scores and Interest Group RatingsCall Number: JK1051 .S555 2000Publication Date: 2000-07-01A compilation of voting study comparisons and interest group rating data on every member of Congress who has served from 1947 through 1999.
- Vital Statistics on CongressVital Statistics on Congress, first published in 1980, is a go-to source of impartial data on the United States Congress. Vital Statistics’ purpose is to collect and provide useful data on America’s first branch of government, including data on the composition of its membership, its formal procedure (such as the use of the filibuster), informal norms, party structure, and staff. With some chapters of data dating back nearly 100 years, Vital Statistics also documents how Congress has changed over time.
- govtrack.us - Voting RecordsEach year the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives take thousands of votes, some to pass bills, resolutions, nominations, and treaties, and others on procedural matters such as on cloture and other motions. Not all votes are recorded, such as when there is no one opposed. This page shows the outcome of all recorded votes on the Senate floor and House floor. It does not include votes in committee.
- C-SPAN - Congressional Vote SearchSelect "House" or "Senate" and then search within "Past Votes" for voting records.
- Vote SmartVote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates
and elected officials to all Americans.
Government Finance
- USAspending.govThis website is mandated by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to give the American public access to information on how their tax dollars are spent. The website provides quick and easy access to data from 2008 to the present. Historical data (from 2000 to the present) can be downloaded from the Data Archives. See also Fedspending.org, a legacy project, for data from 2000-2011.
- SF Open BookSan Francisco's budget, revenue, and expenses.
- ForeignAssistance.govSee how the U.S. Government invests in countries around the world.
- Budget of the United States GovernmentIssued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year.
- National Priorities ProjectA non-governmental, non-profit organization that tracks federal tax and spending policies.
- Book of the StatesThe Council of State Governments’ annual almanac of information about the states.
- Tax FoundationThe Tax Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that focuses on tax policy reform at the federal, state, and global levels. Their goal is to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity. This website provides information on tax rates, tax brackets, tax revenue per capita, etc.
- Tax Policy CenterThe Tax Policy Center is a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. Data are compiled from a variety of sources, including the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, Internal Revenue Service, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Budget Office, the Department of the Treasury, the Federation of Tax Administrators, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The website contains information on tax rates, tax brackets, and tax revenues.
Campaign Finance and Lobbying
- OpenSecrets.orgProvides data on money in national politics.
- MapLightA database which brings together campaign contributions with how legislators vote.
- Vote SmartVote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates
and elected officials to all Americans. - Follow the MoneyA database of campaign contributions at the state level.
- Cal-AccessProvides financial information on California state candidates, donors, and lobbyists.
- San Francisco Disclosures PortalThe City's public portal for campaign finance, lobbyist and campaign consultant disclosure.
- Federal Election Commission - Campaign Finance DataSee how candidates and committees raise and spend money in federal elections.
- Campaign Finance Laws Across the NationThis database covers campaign finance laws in every state since 1996.
Election Statistics
- Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential ElectionsThe Atlas is a (mostly) free resource providing results of U.S. Presidential Elections. Data is collected from many official sources and presented in one convenient location. Please note that Gleeson Library does not have an account or subscription for this website and cannot provide access to datasets which are sold on this website.
- PsephosAn online archive of election data from countries around the world.
- IFES Election GuideElectionGuide is provided by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an international nonprofit dedicated to strengthening electoral democracy. Launched in 1998 through a grant from USAID and currently funded by the same, ElectionGuide is the most comprehensive and timely source of verified election information available online.
- International IDEA Data and ToolsThe Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) has collected and produced a number of information databases on different areas of democracy and elections worldwide. Find data for specific countries on topics such as voter turnout, electoral system design, political finance laws, quota systems for women, etc.
- San Francisco Department of Elections - DataIncludes registration and turnout statistics.
- San Francisco Department of Elections - ResultsView ballot results and turnout for past elections from 1995 to the present.
- California Secretary of State - Statewide Election ResultsThe Secretary of State's Elections Division contains an archive of past statewide election results, from 1990 to the present.
- Access To and Use of Voter Registration ListsStates have varied requirements on who is eligible to request a list of voters, what information the list contains, what information is kept confidential and how the information contained in voter lists may be used.
- America Votes (print volumes)The America Votes series provides official, state-certified election returns and key data by county and by district for the House, Senate, and gubernatorial elections for each election cycle.
- America Votes (online)Recent volumes of America Votes are available online. The America Votes series provides official, state-certified election returns and key data by county and by district for the House, Senate, and gubernatorial elections for each election cycle.