LibGuides: Political Science / Public Policy Resources: Primary Sources

Sample Primary Sources

America Votes
Presidential Campaign Memorabilia from the Duke University Special Collections Library

American Political and Social Movements, 1815-1884 This link opens in a new window
This collection chronicles the prevailing social, religious, political, and benevolent movements of 1815-1884. It represents a wide variety of publications, ranging from many points of view, including anarchists, communists, workingmen, immigrants, women, and more.

American Presidency Project
Authoritative, non-partisan online source for presidential public documents.
Avalon Project
Documents in law, history, and diplomacy
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Documents and Debates, 1774-1873
Full text of Constitutional Congress documents as well as the first hundred years of the U.S. Congress.

Compilation of Presidential Documents This link opens in a new window
The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection consists of the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents which are the official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary.
Core Documents of U.S. Democracy This link opens in a new window
To provide American citizens direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications is available for free, permanent, public access via the Government Publishing Office.

C-SPAN Archives
Search and access to C-SPAN's videos since 1987.

Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window
The Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) contains a large collection of recently declassified national security information, including material on U.S. relations with Cuba, El Salvador, Iran, Japan, Berlin, South Africa, etc.

Frontline Diplomacy: The Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
Frontline Diplomacy: The Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training at the Library of Congress makes available interview transcripts from the oral history archives of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST). These transcripts present a window into the lives of U.S. diplomats and the major diplomatic crisis and issues that the United States faced during the second half of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st.
Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials
Contains more than 300 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952

Meet The Press This link opens in a new window
Meet the Press from Alexander Street Press provides over 1,500 hours of footage—the full surviving broadcast run to date—available online in one cross-searchable interface. Since its television premiere in 1947, Meet the Press has cemented its position as an institution in broadcast journalism. For the first time ever, network television’s longest running program—with its thousands of interviews, panels, and debates—is available via streaming online video. Now, students and scholars have unprecedented access to this treasure trove of material, including many episodes not seen since their original broadcast.
Political Extremism and Radicalism in the 20th Century This link opens in a new window
Political Extremism and Radicalism in the Twentieth Century is a compilation of rare and unique archival collections covering a wide range of fringe political movements. It has been sourced from distinguished libraries and archives across the world but also premiers some previously hidden treasure troves.

Includes content from MSU's American Radicalism Collection, among many other sources.
Presidential Directives on National Security from Truman to George W. Bush II, Part II This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 1,836 highest-level documents issued by presidents from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush concerning foreign affairs, defense and arms control policy, intelligence and counterterrorist activities, and international economic policy.

Presidential Speech Archive
The University of Virginia, Miller Center of Public Affairs, Scripps Library, through cooperation with various presidential libraries, has been collecting some of the most important presidential speeches in American history. These speeches all have transcripts, and some are available in their entirety in full audio.

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Subjects: Government Information, Law, Packaging, Political Science, Public Policy

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Political Science / Public Policy Resources: Primary Sources

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Sample Primary Sources

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