Research Guides: Public Policy & International Affairs: Overview

Megan's Recommendations for Getting Started

PAIS This link opens in a new window
This is the best place to start for national or international public policy research.

Library Search
Limit your searches to "Library Catalog" for books, which can be good for broad understanding and historical context. You may need to eliminate government documents by removing "United States" as an author in the Advanced Search.

Political Science Complete This link opens in a new window
Add "government policy" as a subject to help focus your searches.
Hein Online This link opens in a new window
This database has national and international law review articles, a good choice for articles on the legal implications of a policy: its strengths and weaknesses as a law, the relationship of the law to court decisions, and the potential effects of the application of a policy.

U.S. Politics and Policy
Covers public policy, foreign policy, elections, interest groups, polls, and political speech.
Country Politics and Economy
Find resources for researching a specific country's government, policies, politics, economy, and more.
Global Security
Primary and secondary sources
Political Economy
Recommended databases, data sources, and research organizations.
Statistical Sources
Statistics by subject and region. Includes links to public opinion, government statistics, and more.

Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy - 5 Volume Set
Publication Date: 2020
A-Z entries on a range of national and international policy topics, including major policy areas.
The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy
Publication Date: 2006
A handbook covers the state of the research for various topics in public policy, making it a good starting place if you are new to research in that area.

Contact:

mheuer@smu.edu
(214) 768-1856

Subjects: Economics, Government, International Studies, Journalism, Political Science, Public Policy and International Affairs, Writing & Reasoning