LibGuides: Political Science: Finding Books

Finding Books

Books, eBooks, and other Library materials can be searched using the Online Catalog. Books for Political Science are categorized under sections J-JX of the Library's collection. There are two main categories of books: general and reference. General books (located in the "Stacks" on the lower floor) can be checked out and are often used for more in-depth research. Reference books (located on the upper floor) do not circulate but can be useful for acquiring an overview on a topic.

Course Reserves

The Library maintains a collection of instructor reserve materials. These consist of textbooks, videos, and supplemental course materials that instructors have put in the Library for student use. To find what materials are available for Political Science, search Course Reserves in the Online Catalog. It is best to search by "Course Number" (ex. POLS 101) in that an instructor other than yours may have placed an item on reserve. Materials can be requested at the Periodicals counter and generally must be used in the Library on a two-hour loan period. Photocopy machines are available for 10¢ a copy.

A few selected Library general and reference titles for Political Science are listed below.

The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Science by Frank W. Bealey
Call Number: Ref. JA 61 B43 1999
Publication Date: 1999
The Blackwell Dictionary of Political provides students and general readers with a clear and lively introduction to the terminology of political science.
A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy by Robert E. Goodin (Editor); Philip Pettit (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. JA 71 C565 2012
Publication Date: 2012
A comprehensive guide to current thinking in political philosophy, this volume focuses especially on normative issues. The first part of the book consists of a series of extended essays on the contribution that a number of different disciplines - economics, history, legal studies, political science, sociology, and philosophy itself - have made and are making to current debates.
CQ Almanac, Vol. 68, 2012 Ed
Call Number: Ref. JK 1 C66 2012
Publication Date: 2012
Offers original narrative accounts of every major piece of legislation that lawmakers considered during a congressional session.
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments by Laura Mars (Editor); Grey House Canada Staff
Call Number: Ref. KF4557 .G76 2012 Vols. 1-2
Publication Date: 2017
Provides a complete examination of each of the nation's 27 Constitutional Amendments. Starting with the Bill of Right, each chapter includes a valuable collection of supportive material, such as biographies of individuals significant to the amendment's passage, reprints of actual political debates, newspaper articles, government reports, and Supreme Court cases.*Also available as an eBook
The Encyclopedia of Political Science by George Thomas Kurian (Editor); James E. Alt (Editor); Simone Chambers (Editor); Paula D. McClain (Editor); Geoffrey Garrett (Editor); Margaret Levi (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. JA 61 .E513 2011 Vols. 1-5
Publication Date: 2011
This comprehensive, multi-volume work traces the evolution of political theories, concepts, research frameworks, and political practices from across the world.
Federal Regulatory Directory by CQ Press Staff
Call Number: Ref. KF5406 A15 F4 2016
Publication Date: 2015
The Federal Regulatory Directory, Seventeenth Edition continues to offer a clear path through the maze of complex federal agencies and regulations, providing to-the-point analysis of regulations. Information-packed profiles of more than 100 federal agencies and departments detail the history, structure, purpose, actions, and key contacts for every regulatory agency in the U.S. government.
Guide to Congress by CQ Press Staff
Call Number: Ref. JK 1021 C565 2013
Publication Date: 2013
The new edition of this comprehensive, two-volume reference has been thoroughly revised and expanded by expert CQ Press writers--with years of experience covering Congress--to offer a complete institutional history of Congress along with updated insight and analysis on the 2008 and 2010 shifts in power of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. *Also available as an eBook
How Politics Works: The Concepts Visually Explained by DK Publishing Inc.
Call Number: JA66 .H69 2022
Publication Date: 2022
Discover everything you need to know about political history and thought, and the inner workings of governments all around the globe!
The Political Science Student Writer's Manual and Reader's Guide by Gregory M. Scott; Stephen M. Garrison
Call Number: JA86 .S39 2016
Publication Date: 2016
The Political Science Student Writer's Manual and Reader's Guide is a practical guide to research, reading, and writing in political science. The book is a set of instructions and exercises that sequentially develop citizenship, academic, and professional skills while providing students with knowledge about a wide range of political and governmental concepts, phenomena, and information sources.
The Presidency and the Executive Branch by Michael Nelson (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. JK 516 C57 2013 Vols. 1-2
Publication Date: 2013
This guide is the definitive source for researchers seeking an understanding of those who have occupied the White House and on the institution of the U.S. presidency. Contains a wealth of facts and analytical chapters that explain the structure, powers, and operations of the office and the president's relationship with Congress and the Supreme Court. *Available in both print and e-book
Reference Shelf: Campaign Trends and Election Law by H. W. Wilson (Editor)
Call Number: JK1976 .C36 2016
Publication Date: 2016
This volume explores topics as campaign finance and the corporate funding of elections and investigates the effects of SCOTUS's ruling to roll back aspects of the Voting Rights Act, allowing states to make their own election laws without federal oversight. Other discussions include the rise of one-party domination of state government and more. *Also available as an eBook
The U. S. Supreme Court, Second Edition by Salem Press Editors (Editor); Thomas Tandy Lewis (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. KF8742 .U17 2016 Vols. 1-3
Publication Date: 2016
The U.S. Supreme Court is a comprehensive survey of the history and functions of the institution for which it is named. Although it has only nine unelected members, the Court alone can overturn the actions of every other branch of government, at all levels. There is no other institution quite like the Supreme Court-in the United States or anywhere else in the world. *Also available as an eBook
Washington Information Directory by CQ Press Staff (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. JK464.5 W33 2019-2020
Publication Date: 2019
The Washington Information Directory is the essential one-stop source for information on U.S. governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations. This thoroughly researched guide provides capsule descriptions that help users quickly and easily find the right person at the right organization.

America in the World, 1776 to the Present by Edward J. Blum (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2016
America In The World will answer the needs of students while satisfying the general reader's increasing curiosity about America's role on the world scene; the impact of U.S. policies not only nationally, on the domestic agenda, but globally; and the reactions of the world's nations to America's rise, 1776 to the present.
American Governance by Stephen Schechter (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2016
Discusses how American people govern themselves from their constitutions and governments to the political norms and ideals that guide their actions as citizens and leaders; to local communities, civic associations, and political associations people form for collective deliberation and action; and to the relationships they form with their elected representatives.
Disinformation : The Nature of Facts and Lies in the Post-Truth Era by Donald A. Barclay
Call Number: ProQuest eBook Central
Publication Date: 2022
Disinformation: The Nature of Facts and Lies in the Post-Truth Era cannot cure all the ills of a post-truth world, but by demonstrating how the emergence of digital technology into everyday life has knitted together a number of seemingly loosely related forces-historical, psychological, economic, and culture-to create the post-truth culture, Disinformation will help you better understand how we got to where we now are, see how we can move beyond a culture in which facts are too easily dismissed, and develop a few highly practical skills for separating truth from lies.
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2010 by John R. Vile
Call Number: Ebsco eBook
Publication Date: 2010
This book offers a set of alphabetically organized entries designed as a one-stop resource for high school and college students, members of the general public, and scholars interested in the numerous proposals that individuals have introduced to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics by Kerric Harvey (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2014
Explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world.
Guide to the Presidency and the Executive Branch by Michael Nelson (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2012
Provides a definitive resource for researchers seeking an understanding of those who have occupied the White House and on the institution of the U.S. presidency. This reference completes coverage of the George W. Bush presidency, the 2008 election, and the first 3 years of the presidency of Barack Obama.
Hyperpolitics: An Interactive Dictionary of Political Science Concepts by Mauro Calise; Theodore J. Lowi
Call Number: Ebsco eBook
Publication Date: 2010
Fifteen years in the making, Hyperpolitics is an interactive dictionary offering a wholly original approach for understanding and working with the most central concepts in political science. Designed and authored by two of the discipline's most distinguished scholars, its purpose is to provide its readers with fresh critical insights about what informs these political concepts, as well as a method by which readers can unpack and reconstruct them on their own.
Policing Welfare : Punitive Adversarialism in Public Assistance by Spencer Headworth
Call Number: ProQuest eBooks Central
Publication Date: 2021
In this book, Spencer Headworth offers the first study of the structure of fraud control in the welfare system by examining the relations between different levels of governmental agencies, from federal to local, and their enforcement practices. Policing Welfare shows how the enforcement regime of welfare has been constructed to further stigmatize those already living in poverty and deepens disparities of class, race, and gender in our society.
Science and Political Controversy by David E. Newton
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2014
This handbook examines how the government has facilitated research for the public good and the ways in which politicians have manipulated data to serve political ends around a broad array of controversies, from stem cell research to energy development, chemical health risks, and climate change.
The Shaming State: How the U. S. Treats Citizens in Need by Sara Salman
Call Number: ProQuest eBooks Central
Publication Date: 2023
A riveting indictment of a government that fails to help citizens in need of aid, protection, and humanity The Shaming State argues that Americans have been abandoned by a government that has relinquished its duties of care toward its citizens. Sara Salman describes a government that withholds care in times of need and instead shames the very citizens it claims to serve, both poor and middle class. She argues that the state does so by emphasizing personal responsibility, thus tacitly blaming the needy for relying on state programs. This blame is pervasive in the American cultural imagination, existing in political discourse and internalized by Americans.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States by Thomson Gale Staff (Editor)
Call Number: Gale eBook
Publication Date: 2016
Presents information on all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. dependencies. Standard information includes: Location, size, and extent; Topography; Climate; Flora and Fauna; Environmental protection; Population; etc. Each state entry also contains a detailed map, flag, seal, and statistical tables. Tables, charts and graphs provide statistical information.