PUBPOL 301: States

The Book of the States
Council of State Governments. 1935 - present. Online, + latest Perkins Ref. Desk; earlier Perkins stacks JK2403 .B6

Tables and statistics comparing how the states are governed.

 

County and City Data Book

2007 Version

2007 and previous versions via HathiTrust

 

Leadership Connect

Search or browse for people and organizations by name, job title, industry and geographical location. Contains listings for over 630,000 people and 40,000 organizations in the United States.

 

LexisNexis State Capital 

Search the laws of all 50 states at once, or one at a time; also includes regulations, information on legislators and staff, news on state issues.

 

Regional Profiles of the Fifth District (Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond)
Statistics by county, useful for background on the constituency and local government.

 

State and Metropolitan Area Data Book

Census Bureau. Perkins Ref. US  C3.134/5: Latest at reference desk.

 

State Legislative Sourcebook

Latest Perkins Ref JK2495 .S689

Legislative info for all 50 states

 

State Rankings, previously CQ's State Fact Finder

Congressional Quarterly. Latest Perkins Ref. Desk HA203 .U17

Comparative rankings of the states on over 260 criteria.

 

Statistical Abstract of the United States (Proquest) 2013-present

Filter searches or sections By State

 

2012 and earlier editions (from 1878 on) from census.gov

 

Social Explorer

interactive maps based on Census data, 1790-present, with a variety of local geographic levels

 

State Library of North Carolina

Digital Repository

 

LINC (Log Into North Carolina)

Historical data and projections on state and local levels; subjects include census, law enforcement, environment, transportation, and others.

 

North Carolina Legal Materials

at Duke Libraries

 

North Carolina Legislation: A Summary of Legislation in the General Assembly of Interest to North Carolina Public Officials

1974-2008 in print; 1998-2012 online

You will need to dig a little harder to find information on state legislative issues. Mine the state's web site, read the local news, and find policy briefs on state-level issues in the sites below, in addition to the other sources on this guide.

LexisNexis State Capital 
Search the laws of all 50 states at once, or one at a time; also includes regulations, information on legislators and staff, news on state issues.

State Legislature sites

Pew Center on the States
"Identifies and advances state policy solutions." Browse by Issues, States, Research & Analysis, or Projects.

Stateline
Also from Pew, "a nonprofit, nonpartisan online news site that practices journalism in the public interest by reporting on emerging trends and issues in state policy and politics"

America's News
Search for the local news by state or region.

Follow the Money
from the National Institute on Money in State Politics. Track contributions to candidates and committees, by interest group, to the district level. See also their reports by subject, e.g. immigration.

Open States
From the Sunlight Foundation. Follow bills and votes in state legislatures. Free signup required to search and set alerts.

Council of State Governments
Encompasses all branches of government of all U.S. States. Search or browse the Knowledge Center.

National Conference of State Legislatures
Explore the tabs at the top for Legislators and Staff; Research by topics (some tools are for legislators only).

National Governors Association
See reports and issue briefs, esp. in the Center for Best Practices; also Federal Relations for "the collective voice of the nation's governors."

Public Opinion Surveys with State or Regional Emphasis
from Cornell University