Public Policy Resources

American Law Sources Online (See ALSO)

"The purpose of ALSO! is to provide a comprehensive, uniform, and useful compilation of links to all on-line sources of American law that are available without charge. This site contains additional links to sources of commentary and practice aids that are available without charge (or available at a reasonable charge from governmental and nonprofit providers)."

The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies at Northwestern University

Full texts of some of their publications are available online in the following categories: Annenberg Washington Program Annual Reports - Communications Technology, the U.S. Political Process, and the Legal System - International Media and Telecommunications - Communications, Health Care, and Social Issues.

Center for Public Integrity

"Called a 'watchdog in the corridors of power' by National Journal. The Center's mission is to provide the American public with the findings of its investigations and analyses of public service, government accountability, and ethics-related issues." Includes the The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Center for Responsive Politics

Follow the money. "The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that specializes in the study of Congress and particularly the role that money plays in its elections and actions. The Center conducts computer-based research on campaign finance issues for the news media, academics, activists, and other interested observers of Congress. The Center's work is aimed at creating a more involved citizenry and a more responsive Congress."

Communication Policy and Practice - Benton Foundation

Sample contents: Telecommunications Act of 1996 Page which "documents the development, passage and implementation of this historic legislation," The Regulation Page which "tracks government regulation of media and communications industries" and The Policy Toolkit and a huge library of documents in Education - Health - Industry - Libraries and the NII - NII development and implementation - Regulation and legislation - Strategic communications - Television - Universal service.

Corporate Watch

Corporate Watch is designed to provide journalists, activists and policy makers around the world with up to date information and analysis on social, ecological and economic impacts of transnational corporations.

Electronic Policy Network

Many think tanks and research organizations are affiliated with the EPN. The site has generously hyperlinked background information in Media Old & New, Education, Welfare & Families, Health Policy, and Civic Participation. One especially useful resource for journalists are the "EPN Briefing Books. Immerse yourself in such timely issues as Campaign Finance Reform and the Balanced Budget Amendment and The Civil Society Debate with EPN's briefing booksÐÐonline compendia of the best in news and reports on individual policy issues from the EPN and beyond."

European Public Opinion

Public Opinion Surveys and Research Instruments - Eurobarometer Surveys on Opinions and Attitudes of Europeans - Europinion European Continuous Tracking Survey - Top Decision Makers Survey - Central and Eastern Eurobarometer - Eurobarometer data Public Social Science Data Archives.

Institute of War & Peace Reporting

The Institute focuses on the Balkans, the Caucasus and other areas in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The central aim is to support media development through practical assistance and concrete journalistic projects. Contents include: Balkan Crisis Reports, Yugoslav Media Monitoring, Caucasus Reporting, Hague Tribunal Update, and Special Reports.

"Mass Behaviour in Post-Communist Societies" - Centre for the Study of Public Policy

Be patient, connections to the U.K. can be very slow. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.Ê"To monitor trends in public opinion in Central and East European societies the Paul Lazarsfeld Society, Vienna, created the New Democracies Barometer (NDB) in 1991...The NDB annually asks comparable questions of nationwide representative samples, and repeats key questions regularly to see how much or how little behaviour and evaluations change as people gain more experience of democracy and markets. There is a common core of questions about: economic behaviour and expectations; political evaluations; poverty; and such demographic measures as education, age and gender."

Online Polling Offers Mixed Results: A Survey Methods Comparison

This Pew Research Center study compares online surveys to telephone surveys and discusses some possible factors that may account for what sometimes turned out to be sharp differences.

The Pew Research Center For the People and the Press

"We are an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward press, politics and public policy issues. We are best known for regular national surveys that measure public attentiveness to major news stories, and for our polling that charts trends in values and fundamental political and social attitudes. We were the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press 1990-1995. We are now sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts."

Policy.com

"Policy.com showcases leading research, opinions and events shaping public policy on dozens of issues including education, technology and healthcare. Policy.com is non-partisan and free to users. … Policy.com enjoys active participation by leading think tanks, advocacy groups, businesses, policy analysts, professors and other policy organizations both as content providers and as dedicated users of the site."

Quick Facts: Statistics and Public Opinion

Statistics on media usage, content industries and issues.

Red Cross - International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Among the resources here: Maps, facts and figures, reports, news releases and publications on the countries (over 50) in which the ICRC is currently active. Issues and topics: Thematic information covering issues such as antipersonnel mines, blinding weapons, water and war. International Humanitarian Law: What it is, the texts, their application and analysis, together with a special section for armed forces. Access to the IHL database.

Social Science Research Network

Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences. Categories:Accounting, Economics, Financial Economics, Latin American, Legal Scholarship, and Litigation Support Network.

Think Tanks & Research Institutes

A simple but extensive list of research entities like the Brookings Institution and the Rand Corporation.

TRAC On-Line

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) "is a nonprofit organization at the Newhouse School, Syracuse University, which helps reporters find and analyze data about federal law enforcement agencies. It provides datasets on-line, on tape or diskette (i.e., U.S. Justice Dept records, IRS records, etc.); performs research on federal agencies for media; and provides training."

Transparency International  and  Transparency International - USA Program

"A non-governmental organisation dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both international and national corruption." Among the resources at these Web sites are full texts of Working Papers and the "Corruption Perceptions Index", a "poll of polls" measuring public views of the extent of corruption in 85 countries

Who Owns What?

Media conglomerates covered by the Columbia Journalism Review with an article by Tom Goldstein, dean of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, and an updated list of ownership information.