Research Guides: United States Federal Government Documentation: Branches, Departments, Agencies

Branches of the United States Government

Depending upon your objective, several ways to access federal government information could be helpful: Ben's Guide to U. S. Government is a basic (for kids), but helpful resource if you are just beginning to explore the complexities of the federal government. GPO Access is a good place to search for news and current events regarding federal government information, particularly with the A-Z resource list.

Executive Branch

The Executive branch is accessed through the White House website, which features information on the Presidential Transition, US Economy, National Security, Environment, and other relevant issues; and links to Press Briefings and Executive Orders.

ProQuest Executive Branch Documents This link opens in a new window
In addition to offering a record of Federal department and agency activities, this collection provides insight into virtually all facets of society.

Judicial Branch

The Judicial branch includes the United States Supreme Court and all US federal courts.

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch consists of Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and agencies that support Congress.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994 This link opens in a new window
It documents the official activities of the committees of the House and the Senate, including the journals, reports, and documents. In addition, through the nineteenth century the Serial Set also included publications of the executive departments relating to important public issues. It contains, for example, reports on education, public health, and agriculture, as well as maps and color plates. The database consists of approximately 369,000 publications published in 14,500 volumes and over 11 million pages.