LibGuides: Elections: Think Tanks, Books, and Databases

Think Tanks

Brookings Institution
"The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level."
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 policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action."
Council on Foreign Relations
"The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. In this video, members explain why CFR is a trusted and indispensable resource."
The Heritage Foundation
"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."
Hoover institution
"With its eminent scholars and world-renowned library and archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind."
New America
"New America is a think tank and civic enterprise committed to renewing American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age."
Rand Corporation
"The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis."
Urban Institute
"Our mission: to open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions through economic and social policy research."

Databases

When you want to dig deeper or you've hit a paywall on the free web, it's time to turn to the library databases. You can ask a librarian for help in determining which database has the publication you are looking for. In general you'll have good luck with the following:

Proquest This link opens in a new window
Proquest has most mainstream publications (newspapers, journals, and magazines). This is a good first stop.
Gale Expanded Academic ASAP This link opens in a new window
Try Gale next; it has a lot of overlap with Proquest, but if you can't find a publication there, it'll will likely be in Gale.
JStor This link opens in a new window
JStor is the place for academic journal articles.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Opposing Viewpoints is great if you are having trouble seeing all sides of an issue. They specialize in opinion pieces, but also have other types of articles as well.

Books

Books are good to get backgrounds of certain issues and to understand candidates' histories. Search in the library catalog to find books that are pertinent to a specific issue, then use the index to pinpoint the pages that will be useful for you to read.