Library Online Resources

 

Online Databases

 

Biography Resource Center

Search for biographies and articles on not only the United States Presidents but other men and women who have held government offices in our country. Use the Biographical Facts Search to find biographies by occupation, such as Senator, Congressman, or Secretary of State.

 

General OneFile

Read U.S. News & World Report, and other publications on current social and political issues. You can also browse the magazine USA Today.

 

Opposing Viewpoints

Get an insight into global issues that are hot topics of debate in the political arena, such as national security, illegal immigration, and same sex marriage.

 

Orlando Sentinel
Read local news and articles related to elections.

SIRS Researcher

Get all the latest information about Election 2008 and play the Your Adventure in Politics game and experience what it’s like to run for U.S. President.

 

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Kids and Teens

 

Library Online Resources

 

American Government Quiz

Test your knowledge of the American Government by taking this online quiz.

 

Homework Help

Do you have a homework question about United States government? Use the OCLS Web portal to get homework assistance.

 

Kids InfoBits

Explore the Kids InfoBits database and learn all about government and politics.

 

Library Materials

 

Know Your Presidents

Be sure you know your Presidents with this reading list!

 

Web Sites

 

Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President

So what if you can’t vote until you’re 18? Pick the issues and the President at Nick.com.

 

PBS Kids: The Democracy Project

Take a tour of government, follow the President for a day, and step inside the voting booth.

 

Scholastic News Online: Election 2008

Use this interactive and resourceful site to know how America elects its President.

 

Time for Kids: Election Connection

Keep yourself current on the presidential election!

 

Weekly Reader Election Center

Understand the importance of the presidential election.

 

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Library Materials

Books

 

Congressional Quarterly

Browse these comprehensive, non-partisan books on Congress and understand congressional policies.

 

Elections and Voting
Read about voting history and find out how presidential elections work.

 

Political Campaigns
Find out how the political campaign influences the decision making process.

 

Political Fiction

Enjoy these great stories in which politics are an important plot element. This list includes political thrillers by authors like William Bernhardt, Dale Brown, Richard North Patterson, and others.

 

Democrat or Republican?

Are you a red-blooded Republican or a true-blue Democrat? Stay abreast of the issues as Election Day quickly approaches.

 

U.S. Politics and Government
Get an in-depth analysis of the United States government and the political culture.

 

Videos

 

How Government Works

Watch these streaming videos and educate yourself about how the United States government operates.

 

Political Movies

Enjoy these movies where politics meets Hollywood.

 

Political TV Shows

Looking for some political entertainment? These political themed TV series are worth watching again.

 

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Web Sites

Local Information

 

Florida Division of Elections

Find information related to voting in Florida, including polling places, voter registration, and Florida absentee ballots.

 

Florida Parole Commission

Learn how to have your voting rights restored.

 

Orange County Elections

Are you an Orange County Resident? Use this Web site to register for voting, change your address, get absentee ballots, find your nearest polling place or simply look up the elected officials.

 

Orlando Sentinel: Central Florida Political Pulse

Get an inside scoop about politics and happenings around our region.

 

Other Counties Election Supervisors:

Brevard County 

Lake County 

Osceola County

Polk County

Seminole County

 

Additional Resources for Voting

 

Federal Voting Assistance Program

A federal Web site that provides absentee voting information to U.S. citizens who are UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) citizens.

 

VoteAnywhere.org

Avoid long lines on election day!
Order a mail-in/absentee ballot. Deadline is October 29, 2008.

 

Vote411.org

A "one-stop-shop" for election related information provided by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

 

USA.gov Voting and Elections

Contact elected officials, learn about the voting process, register to vote, or volunteer as a poll worker.

 

Campaign Contributors

 

Follow the Money

Database of state-level campaign contributions, searchable by candidate, contributor, office, and state.

 

Opensecrets.org 

A comprehensive resource for campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis. Find the 527 advocacy group spending or simply look up the Federal campaign contributions in the State of Florida.

 

Congressional Quarterly

 

CQ Politics

Get current political news and election data from the Congressional Quarterly. View projected landscape maps for the House, Senate, Governors, and Presidential elections, or just switch to the 2008 primary guide to keep track of local primary coverage.

 

GPO Access

Search the database for the Congressional Record, the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress.  

 

Resources for Decision Making

 

2008 SelectSmart.com Presidential Candidate Selector

Take this quiz and see which candidates match with your political views.

 

C-SPAN.org: Politics

C-SPAN offers gavel to gavel coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

FactCheck.org

A non-partisan, non-profit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception in U.S. politics by monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players.

 

OnTheIssues.org

Get non-partisan information on the political leaders' views on every issue.

 

Project Vote Smart

Browse voting records, interest group ratings, public statements, and more.

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