Overview - The Presidency and The Executive Branch
These publications offer an overview of the scope and functions of the Presidency as well as Executive Branch departments and agencies. Scholar OneSearch provides access to additional books, scholarly articles, and news articles on these topics.
- United States Government ManualThis classic reference work provides a broad range of materials on the history and organization of government agencies and officers. Issues are available online from 1935 to the present. Government organization charts are available in addition to agency/department descriptions.
Guide to the Presidency and the Executive Branch by ISBN: 9781608719068Publication Date: 2012Although an older work, this comprehensive guide provides excellent coverage of the origins, Constitutional beginnings, and development of the Presidency. It also offers a detailed look at Presidential powers. The Vice-Presidency, the Executive Office of the President, the Cabinet, the Executive Branch, and Presidential Commissions are also covered in some detail.
- Congressional Research ReportsThe CRS produces scholarly and timely studies at the request of Senators, Congress people, and Congressional staff members. A number of studies cover the Presidency, including a recent series on all aspects of the 25th amendment (Presidential succession).
Presidential Papers, Records, and Speeches
The series, Public Papers of the President, is available online through the links below. Snell Library also owns print sets of the Public Papers which may be requested through the Library catalog.
- Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1992 to presentFrom GovInfo.gov, an authenticated federal website. The history and scope of this publication series is described on the site's landing page.
- Public Papers of the Presidents, 1929-1932 and 1945-2016From govinfo.gov. Read the information provided on the Public Papers landing page to read a history of this series. The series concluded in 2016, and subsequent Presidential materials are included in the Compilation of Presidential Documents (linked elsewhere).
- Public Papers of the PresidentsAvailable online through the National Archives for Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton.
- State of the Union AddressesFrom UC Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project.
- Presidential Inaugural Addresses, 1873 to presentFrom GovInfo.gov, an authenticated federal website.
- The White HouseLinks to the current Administration's White House site.
- American Presidency Project (University of California-Santa Barbara)This site provides rich collections of historical and contemporary materials on Presidents and the Presidency.
- Presidential Records (National Archives and Records Administration)Types of materials and public access are described at this site.
- Presidential Libraries (National Archives and Records Administration)Currently links to 15 Presidential libraries from Hoover to Trump (The Trump and Obama libraries are online only at this time.) Most Presidential libraries are also associated with museums.
- Vice Presidential Records (National Archives and Records Administration)Types of materials and public access are described at this site.
Data and Statistics
- Data Archive (American Presidency Project)Provides data on a broad range of topics, including approval ratings, relations with Congress, and Presidential selection.
- Elections DataFrom the American Presidency Project, 1789-2020.
- CQ Press Voting and Elections Collection This link opens in a new windowIncludes data, authoritative analyses, concise explanations, and historical material on the American voter, major and minor political parties, campaigns and elections, and historical and modern races for Congress, the presidency, and governorships.
Selected NU Library Resources
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowHeinOnline is available courtesy of the Northeastern School of Law Library. Full text legal documents including statutes, regulations and other government publications and reports are provided. International and intergovernmental publications are available as is a large collection of domestic and international law reviews and journals.
- Presidential Impeachment Library (HeinOnline)Collection of materials on the four Presidents impeached by Congress. This focused library is part of the larger HeinOnline database, provided courtesy of the School of Law Library.
- U.S. Presidential Library (HeinOnlline)Collection of Presidential materials covering a wide range of topics and years. This focused library is part of the larger HeinOnline database, provided courtesy of the School of Law Library.
- CQ Press Voting and Elections Collection This link opens in a new windowIncludes data, authoritative analyses, concise explanations, and historical material on the American voter, major and minor political parties, campaigns and elections, and historical and modern races for Congress, the presidency, and governorships.
- Digital National Security Archive (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowFounded by journalists and scholars, the National Security Archive promotes open government by acting as a clearinghouse for declassified information. Primary source materials: declassified government documents, chronologies, images, bibliographies, and explanatory essays on topics related to national security.