Need Help?
Finding Publicly Available & Free Resources
Many of the resources collected on this guide require an affiliation with URI or use of a public computer within the URI Libraries. For material you can access without these restrictions, check out the recommendations on this page!
If you're specifically interested in researching local Rhode Island politics, we've collected some information sources on local government at the bottom of this page to get you started.
For URI Students
Below are a list of online resources that may be helpful to students studying Political Science
- Political Science - University of Rhode Island
This link opens in a new window
Official website for the Department of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island. - MLA Style Guide - Citing Government and Legal Documents
- This link opens in a new window
Guide from the University of Portland Libraries that provides examples of citations for government documents in MLA format.
U.S. Government and Politics
Below are a list of online sources concerning national government in the United States.
- Census Bureau
- This link opens in a new window
Official government source for a broad range of social, demographic, business, and economic statistics. Historical data can be found under the "Publications" links on the Census homepage. - Congress.gov
- This link opens in a new window
This database contains the full text of Public Laws from the 101st Congress (1989-90) to the present. Laws may be searched by Public Law number, popular name or keyword. A detailed summary of each law, as well as an in-depth legislative history, including amendments, is given. - Treaties in Force
- This link opens in a new window
A list of treaties and other international agreements of the United States in force. Updated annually. - USA.gov
- This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive and easy to use portal to federal, state, and local government information. Searches can be done by topic, agency, audience, or level of government.
Rhode Island Government and Politics
Below are a list of online sources containing state and local government information for Rhode Island.
- Inside Politics
- This link opens in a new window
Covering Rhode Island politics, contains detailed information on how representatives voted, campaign finance data, ethics filings of public officials, registered lobbyists, polls, commentary, etc. - Rhode Island Landlord and Tenant Handbook
- This link opens in a new window
Explains state law and regulations pertaining to residential landlords and tenants. - Rhode Island Division of Taxation
- This link opens in a new window
Online tax regulations, forms and instructions (forms require Adobe Reader), online filing capabilities, and general information. - Rhode Island General Assembly
- This link opens in a new window
Includes the full text of the General Laws of Rhode Island, the text of Public Laws back to 1994, the text of current bills, the text of House and Senate Journals, biographies of state representatives and senators, and more. - Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC)
- This link opens in a new window
RIPEC is an “independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan public policy research and education organization dedicated to the advancement of effective and efficient government in Rhode Island.” Their web site offers statistics on state and local property taxes, state aid, community demographics, school funding, and analysis of the state budget. - Rhode Island Secretary of State
- This link opens in a new window
Online portal for the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Office. - Rhode Island State Budget
- This link opens in a new window
Provides the current Rhode Island state operating budget, revenue estimates, state debt, performance measures, a budget primer explaining how the state budget works, and frequently-asked-questions. - Rhode Island State Government Information Page
- This link opens in a new window
Directory of RI state agency web sites. Lists legislative, judicial, and executive branch sites; also includes links to sites for RI organizations in business, disabilities, education, environment, health, human services, libraries, and tourism. - Rhode Island State Library's Online Catalog
- This link opens in a new window
Search the online catalog of the Rhode Island State Library for state publications and other items. - Rhode Island Official Website
- This link opens in a new window
Official website for the state of Rhode Island. Portal provides access to sites for all branches of state government.