Course and Subject Guides: COM204 Public Speaking for Professionals: Persuasive Speech of Public Policy Assignment

Government & NGO Sources

Identify your topic: Search for keywords related to a current legislative issue on your career. Start with Congress.gov
Identify the committee and find out if any of the committee members are your Representative.
Identify your House Representative and contact them.
Contact your Senators

Congressional Budget Office
Government source. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is the federal agency responsible for government budget calculations and analyses. CBO is nonpartisan and "conducts objective, impartial analysis." Want to know how much a proposed law is estimated to cost? Check with CBO.
GovTrack
NGO source. GovTrack tracks Congress, publishing the status of federal legislation, voting records of Congresspeople, and original research on legislation. They are among the "leading non-governmental source of legislative information and statistics."
Homeland Security Digital Library
Government source. The Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) is the "nation’s premier collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management"
How a Bill Becomes a Law (Vote Smart)
NGO source. Want to learn more about the process by which a bill becomes a law? See this site from the organization Vote Smart to learn more.
POPVOX
NGO source. POPVOX is a nonpartisan online platform that tracks legislation and allows people to contact their legislators regarding legislation.

Pro/Con Sources

CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new window
Library database. Provides in-depth, unbiased coverage of health issues, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Including pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions, it is useful for term papers, debates, and speeches.
Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window
Library database. Consists of a series of essays presenting multiple sides of a current issue. Provides over 250 topics, each with an overview, point (argument),counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide.

ProCon.org
Website. "ProCon.org is the country's leading source for pro, con, and related research on controversial issues."

Databases and Secondary Sources

Use OneSearch (the search box on the library's homepage) to search many of our library databases at once, along with our print and ebook collections, video collections, and more. Note that OneSearch defaults to retrieving only materials we have in full text; to see more results you can obtain through Interlibrary Loan, simply click the slider next to Expand My Results on the left side of your results screen.

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Provides full text for scholarly publications and peer-reviewed journals as well as general interest sources. Multidisciplinary. A good place to start your research.
U.S. Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Library Database. Provides access to over 500 national newspapers. Infludes full text for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and more.

Open Secrets
Website. "Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, OpenSecrets is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Our mission is to track the flow of money in American politics and provide the data and analysis to strengthen democracy."