Search Guides
U.S. Federal Documents & Resources
UM Libraries have been a part of the U.S. Federal Depository Library Program since 1883. This guide is a gateway to the U.S. Federal Documents collection held by UM Libraries and related resources.
Original Library Collection (OLC) Project
Librarian
Government Databases: General
Government Information Resources via UM Libraries
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Congressional Publications This link opens in a new window
Indexes Congressional publications including Congressional research and hearings from 1789 to the present, linking to full text when available.
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HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowProvides comprehensive coverage of law and law-related periodicals. Also contains historical trial records, important legal works from the 16th to the 20th centuries, treaties, and select government records, including the Congressional Record and the Federal Register.
Freely Available Government Information Resources
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FDLP Basic Collection: Core U.S. Government ResourcesCore U.S. Government resources that provide information about the workings and essential activities of the U.S. Government.
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Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP)GPO's online catalog of current, electronic, and historical gov docs.
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GovinfoFull text of congressional, regulatory, legal, historic publications via GPO
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DiscoverGovProvides simple, one-stop searching across multiple U.S. Federal Government databases including GPO's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) and GovInfo.
How the U.S. Government is Organized
The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too much control.
- Legislative - Makes laws (Congress)
- Executive - Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet)
- Judicial - Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:
- The President can veto laws passed by Congress.
- Congress confirms or rejects the President's appointments and can remove the President from office in exceptional circumstances.
- The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional law, are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The U.S. federal government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through this system of checks and balances.
Retrieved from https://bensguide.gpo.gov/j-check-balance.
Government Agency Contact Information
Contact a Government Agency
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Government Contact by Topic Find contact information for government programs, listed by topic.
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How to Contact YOUR Elected Officials Learn how to get in touch with your federal, state, and local elected leaders.
