Macdonald-Kelce Library: Current and Controversial Topics: Web

Congressional Research Service

Congressional Research Service CRS Reports
Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a service provided by the Library of Congress to members of Congress. CRS approaches complex topics from a variety of perspectives and examines all sides of an issue. Staff members analyze current policies and present the impact of proposed policy alternatives.

Here is a sampling of the kind of reports they offered during the middle of August, 2023.

Defining Active Ingredient: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Legal Interpretation of Regulatory Exclusivities
Artificial Intelligence: Overview, Recent Advances, and Considerations for the 118th Congress
U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils
A Guide to Major Congressional and Presidential Awards
Guam: Defense Infrastructure and Readiness
Independence of Federal Financial Regulators: Structure, Funding, and Other Issues
On the Radio: Public Performance Rights in Sound Recordings
Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: Background and Legislation in the 118th Congress
Energy Leasing and Agreement Authorities on Tribal Lands: In Brief
Federal and State Courts: Structure and Interaction
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress
Senate Staff Levels, 1977-2022
The Blue Slip Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations (1917-Present)
Economic Development Administration: An Overview of Programs and Appropriations (FY2011-FY2023)

Pew Research Center

"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions."

Browse research topics and publications. Pew provides surveys and datasets to use in your own research.

Pew Research Center

Finding Statistics

Statista This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Provides direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.
Within this database one can find company information about business plans, sales data, employment figures, reports, statistics and market outlooks.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
UNStats
The Statistics Division of the United Nations is committed to the advancement of the global statistical system. They compile and disseminate global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical activities, and support countries’ efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems.
USA.gov
The U.S. government's official web portal for access to government information. Different departments will hold generally hold their own statistics (ex: Data & Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or Bureau of Justice Statistics -- Law Enforcement). This is a broad search engine to help you determine which department might collect the information you are looking for.

For more sources of statistics, see our Datasets and Statistics page.

Think Tanks

Think Tanks create policy proposals rooted in research.

However, think tanks (aka policy institutes, or research institutes) typically support particular worldviews and are not bound by the constraints of the scholarly method. They exist to advocate and persuade for certain positions. Think tanks may portray themselves as nonpartisan, or bipartisan, but are rarely seen as such by all stakeholders.

Here is a sampling of some of the best known, and most influential think tanks. There are thousands of policy research institutes around the globe.

Brookings Institute
"The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:
-Strengthen American democracy;
-Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans; and
-Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.
Brookings is proud to be consistently ranked as the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tank."
Cato Institute
"The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank – dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues."
Center for American Progress
"The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan educational institute dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action. Building on the achievements of progressive pioneers such as Teddy Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, our work addresses 21st-century challenges such as energy, national security, economic growth and opportunity, immigration, education, and health care. We develop new policy ideas, critique the policy that stems from conservative values, challenge the media to cover the issues that truly matter, and shape the national debate."
Heritage Foundation
"Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."

2019 TOP THINK TANKS WORLDWIDE (U.S. and non-U.S.)

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States)
Bruegel (Belgium)
French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) (France)
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (United States)
Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) (Brazil)
Chatham House (United Kingdom)
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (United Kingdom)
Heritage Foundation (United States)
Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) (United States)
Wilson Center, FKA Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholar (United States)

The University of Pennsylvania's "2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report" by James G. McGann

Campus Free Speech

Here are some sources addressing campus free speech issues.

In Fall 2019, PEN America issued a comprehensive Campus Free Speech Guide to help you answer questions about what academic freedom and inclusion means in college. Find reports, advice, and external resources to pertinent legislation.
The ACLU answers some questions about supreme court rulings and free speech on campus.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, advocates for individual rights at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience.
Sanford Ungar provides background and context for his Free Speech Tracker (part of the Free Speech Project at Georgetown University).

Academic Ethics Research

Many universities host research Centers and Institutes that serve as incubators and funders for topical scholarship. These programs provide reports and other educational resources on current events authored by faculty who are experts in their field. Below are a few that provide resources for you to use in your own research.

Ethics Unwrapped
Ethics Unwrapped is a free educational program that combines the latest ethics research with top experts and creative zest to make learning easy, memorable, and fun. Browse case study reports and videos that review a variety of ethical concepts.