LibGuides: Government Documents and Research: Finding Government Reports

Congressional Research Service Reports

Congressional Research Service is the U.S. Congressional think tank which produces reports on any topic under consideration by Congress. These reports are:

Hard to obtain. They are not made available to members of the public by CRS, except in certain circumstances.
Objective reports produced for committees in congress to analyze issues.
Widely regarded as in depth, accurate, objective, and timely.
Excellent resources for legislative or public policy research.

There are a variety of institutions, organizations and websites that are publishing CRS Reports. Try the links listed below.

Archive-It Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports
Congressional Research Service Reports, Hosted by UNT Libraries
EveryCRSreport.com
"We’re publishing reports by Congress’s think tank, the Congressional Research Service, which provides valuable insight and non-partisan analysis of issues of public debate. These reports are already available to the well-connected — we’re making them available to everyone for free."
Federation of American Scientists CRS Reports
Homeland Security Digital Library (NMC login required)

Use this Google search box to find CRS reports. Add your keywords to the existing search string.

Government Accountability Office Reports

GAO Search
The Government Accountability Agency provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for the United States Congress. They are the "Watch Dog" of federal government. GAO reports are:

Easily available
Objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced
Tend to be longer, more indepth and more critical than CRS reports.
Full of useful charts and statistics.
Might be one particular aspect of a policy/law.
Makes a recommendation regarding the policy.

Use this Google Search box to find GAO reports. Add keywords to the existing search string.

Congressional Budget Office

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides Congress with nonpartisan analysis for economic and budget decisions and with estimates required for the Congressional budget process.