Government - Topic Guides - Social Studies - LibGuides at Pikes Peak Library District

Search Terms

Search terms are specific key words or phrases are necessary to find information in databases or the library catalog. We recommend:

Bill of Rights
Democracy
Executive branch
Government agencies
Judicial branch
Legislative branch
Political science
United States government

Search Strategies

Primary sources are original, immediate accounts of information, records, or objects that were created by participants/observers of historical events. Example: The U.S. Constitution.
You can use these search terms to find books in the library catalog and eBooks or eAudiobooks in the eLibrary.
To narrow your search, type two terms into a search bar in this format: "Term 1" AND "Term 2". This search will only provide resources that include both terms. Combine any two search terms from the box into a database search bar to see what you find.
Find more database search tips on the Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide, in the Database Search Tops box.

Standards and Knowledge Building

This guide is connected to the following Colorado Academic Standards

Describe the origins, foundations, purposes, roles, and limitations of the structures and functions of government.
Evaluate the impact of the political institutions that link the people to the government.

This guide will support students by building further knowledge in:

Different library resources –what they are and how they are useful for finding information relevant to a U.S. government class.
How to effectively find articles, primary sources, and other materials to support the study of the U.S. government.
How to effectively find information in these sources using search terms.

Contact

Mikaela Fortune

Email Me

Contact:

5550 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO
80918

(719) 531-6333

Welcome to the Government Topic Guide!

Databases

Databases are subject-specific search engines that provide access to journal articles and other reliable resources. The following PPLD databases are recommended for students studying government:

Gale in Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window
Gale In Context: U.S. History is an engaging experience for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in U.S. history. Topics range from the arrival of Vikings in North America to the first stirrings of the American Revolution and on through the Civil Rights movement, September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the War on Terror.
Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
Biography is built on a foundation of more than 600,000 biographical entries covering international figures from all time periods and areas of study. Providing coverage of the most searched and studied people, Biography includes over 5,000 portal pages on contemporary and historical figures. Reference content is offered alongside videos, audio selections, images, primary sources, and magazine and journal articles from hundreds of major periodicals and newspapers. This resource is continuously updated to ensure users have access to the latest information.
History Reference Source This link opens in a new window
History Reference Source offers full text from more than 1,620 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books, cover to cover full text for more than 150 leading history periodicals, nearly 57,000 historical documents, more than 78,000 biographies of historical figures, more than 113,000 historical photos and maps, and more than 80 hours of historical video.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Searches our entire collection of Gale eBooks on a variety of subjects, including history, science, government, business and more.
Explora for Public Libraries This link opens in a new window
Find articles and facts from the world’s leading magazines and reference books in one search.
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Searches almost 3500 full text academic and scholarly journals.

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following encyclopedias and dictionaries in the PPLD catalog support the study of government:

American Revolution Reference Library by UXL Staff (Contribution by)
ISBN: 9780787638160
Publication Date: 2000-02-28
This set supplies in-depth information about the American Revolution that may support students writing class assignments and reports on the foundation of the United States, its Constitution, and the US Government.
Checks and Balances by Lawrence W. Baker (Editor); Daniel E. Brannen (Editor)
ISBN: 9780787654092
Publication Date: 2005-07-15
This material presents easy to understand information about the inner workings of the federal government appropriate for students and general audiences.

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following books in the PPLD catalog support the study of government:

American Government 101 by Kathleen Sears
ISBN: 9781440598463
Publication Date: 2016-09-16
This primer is packed with entertaining tidbits and concepts to help you learn about how the government of the United States works.
Key Voting Laws by Alex Acks
ISBN: 9781502655370
Publication Date: 2019-12-30
Learn about the laws that have influenced voting rights in the United States. This material explores the history of voting in the U.S.
Understanding the Bill of Rights by James Wolfe; Nancy L. Stair
ISBN: 9780766068834
Publication Date: 2015-07-30
Read about the origins of the Bill of Rights, it’s creation, and the influence it still holds.
Votes of Confidence by Jeff Fleischer
ISBN: 9781541596061
Publication Date: March 3, 20202
This book gives young readers clear explanations about how the US election process works, including information about primaries, the electoral college, checks and balances, polls, and more.

Explore (multimedia and recommended websites)

Recommended Websites
Multimedia

You can use trusted, online sources to find information. For more information on reliable, online sources, please visit PPLD’s Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide. PPLD recommends:

Crash Course: U.S. Government and Politics
Quality educational videos on a variety of subjects including an entire course on U.S. Government.
TED ed
Short, video based lessons on a variety of subjects, including civics. TED ed also provides resources for students, educators, and parents, like guided discussions and quizzes. Recommended videos: How do executive orders work?, How do US Supreme Court justices get appointed?, Why wasn’t the Bill of Rights originally in the US Constitution?, Democracy – A Short Introduction, and Why is the US Constitution so hard to amend?
Subject Guide: Government
PPLD's Government Subject Guide is intended as a starting place for finding information about our local, state, and federal government. Please use the navigation on the left to access library databases, government offices, and agencies' websites.

Use these multimedia sources to watch or listen to information on this topic.

Politics Is... by DK and Richard Trinder
ISBN: 9780744025606
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
This audiobook covers the beliefs of political thinkers, leaders, and activists from around the world.

The Presidents
Based on the book To the Best of My Ability, this 8-part series provides an insightful look at the exclusive group of men, from 1798 to 2005. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.
Separation of Powers and the Presidency
Learn how our system of checks and balances came to exist – with, among other things, a close look at the landmark judicial review case, Marbury V. Madison. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.