Research Guides: U.S. Federal Government: Executive

Introduction

"The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who also acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise.

The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Including members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs more than 4 million Americans."

(from WhiteHouse.gov)

We Recommend

American Presidency Project
Over 102,768 documents related to the study of American Presidencies, including inaugural and state of the union addresses, public papers, signing statements, election documents, and more.
Compilation of Presidential Documents
The official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary from 1993-present (remarks, statements, proclamations, and more).

ProQuest Congressional Legislative & Executive Publications
Detailed information about Congress and domestic and foreign policy issues. Search through Executive Branch Documents from 1789-1939, as well as Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations from 1789-Present. Congressional Research Service reports provide valuable, non-partisan information on issues.

White House
Descriptions of issues of concern, profiles of executive branch offices, statements, and nominations put forth by the President.

Additional Resources

President Barack Obama Administration website (legacy - Presidential library)
The White House website, as well as the sites for Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, We the People petitions, and the White House Data Catalog have been archived here.
President Bill Clinton Administration website (legacy - Presidential library)
Multiple versions of the White House website under President Clinton's administration are available here. Mostly only top-level links lead anywhere.
President George W. Bush Administration website (legacy)
Archival material from the whitehouse.gov website as it existed under the administration of President George W. Bush. Includes transcripts of press briefings, areas of focus, profiles of cabinet secretaries, and more.
Presidential Libraries and Museums (NARA)
There are thirteen libraries in the Presidential Library system, archiving documents and history from presidential administrations from Herbert Hoover forward. Links to the online presence of all current libraries can be found here.

US Department of Agriculture
The USDA is responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, agriculture, forestry, and food, promoting trade, and working to ensure the safety of the nation's food supply. Find information about grants, reports, agricultural research and statistics, nutrition, and more.
US Department of Commerce
Commerce is the link between the Executive Branch and business. Dataset Gateway enables the searching of over 40,000 datasets from the Census Department, BEA, NOAA, and more.
US Department of Defense
Defense.gov is the single, unified starting point for finding military information online. Information including directives, publications, assistance (including the GI Bill), and more available here.
US Department of Education
The Department of Education develops federal financial aid policies, and collects data on education. Home to the National Center for Education Statistics, with data on college costs, demographics, and more.
US Department of Energy
The DOE works to advance new energy technologies, improve efficiencies in today's tech (at home, at work, and on the go), and makes available data and research.
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Includes information on programs (including HIPAA and TANF), laws, and policies.
US Department of Homeland Security
The United States' principal security agency; browse information by topic, read tips for the public and get questions answered, and browse high-value data on subjects including immigration, intellectual property, and more.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD works to ensure access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, with resources for home owners, renters, and landlords (fair and public housing, vouchers, your rights, data, and more).
US Department of the Interior
The umbrella under which the Park Service, the Geological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other bureaus reside. Information about the nation's natural resources, and issues affecting the Native American population, is available here.
US Department of Justice
Led by the Attorney General, agencies with the DOJ include ATF, FBI, BOP, the US Marshals, and DEA.Find publications, business opportunities, news, and more here.
US Department of Labor
The workers' advocacy department of the federal government, with information on hiring, work hours, wages, and workers' compensation, among other topics. Umbrella agency for Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
US Department of State
Executive department responsible for the international relations of the United States.
US Department of Transportation
Resources (regulations, legislation, statistics) for individuals, partners, and government about America's transportation networks. Umbrella under which the FAA, FHWA, FARA, MARAD, and others are administered.
US Department of Treasury
Treasury works to protect and manage the nation's financial system. Find information on, among other topics, public auctions, coins and currency, foreign transactions, and a Data Center. The IRS is a bureau of the Treasury.
US Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States' military benefit system. Find information on health benefits, pension, GI Bill, and the Nationwide Gravesite Locator. Includes the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.

Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
"The collection is organized into three 'General Correspondence' series which include incoming and outgoing correspondence and enclosures, drafts of speeches, and notes and printed material... In its online presentation, the Abraham Lincoln Papers comprises approximately 61,000 images and 10,000 transcriptions."
Branches of the United States Government
Learn more about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS)
At American University, CCPS' work, "focuses both on relationships between the President and Congress as well as outside interests lobbying the Executive Branch. Additionally, CCPS scholars have studied the presidential campaigns to see what works, what does not, and what influences voters to cast their ballots one way or the other (or at all)."
Commission on Presidential Debates
The Commission sponsors and produces debates for the presidential and vice presidential candidates and presents research and educational activities relating to the debates.
First Lady
Traditionally, the First Lady is hostess and organizer to the White House. In the modern era, presidential spouses have embraced and advocated for causes nationally and around the world.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
ISBN: 0684824906
Publication Date: 2005-10-25
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Lincoln's success, Doris Kearns Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character forged by experience. He won with extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. Lincoln brought his disgruntled opponents together, creating the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshalled their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.

United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book)
Published by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and House Committee on Government Reform alternately after each Presidential election, the Plum Book lists over 7,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment, nationwide.
The Plum Book is used to identify presidentially appointed positions within the Federal Government.
Vice President
Also serving as president of the United States Senate, the vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession.

The years of Lyndon Johnson by Caro, Robert A
Call Number: E847 .C34 1982 v.1-3
V. 1. The path to power
V. 2. Means of ascent
V. 3. Master of the Senate
V. 4 The Passage of Power (under its own record, call number E846 .C37 2012)

Government Information

Government Information is a regional library of the Federal Depository Library Program as well as a depository of Colorado state, United Nations, and European Union information. It consists of over five million items from the United States government, Colorado and other state governments, foreign governments, and international governmental organizations like the UN. As a federal depository, the Library also offers assistance and its collections to members of the public. This includes providing public computers for unrestricted access to government information on the Internet.

We offer a wide array of services to support students, staff, and faculty, including online guides for research, one-on-one consultations, class instruction, phone, email, and walk-in reference.

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What Are Executive Branch Documents?

As executive branch agencies touch topics ranging from business and industry, foreign trade, immigration and population, health, religion, military operations, the weather conditions, and many more besides, EBDs can be valuable primary source research resources for many academic disciplines, including history and political science, social sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and business.

EBDs are searchable from the advanced search page of Proquest Congressional: Legislative and Executive Publications - you can limit your search results to Executive Branch Documents specifically, with dates ranging between 1789-1939.

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Image Credits

West Wing and South Portico of the White House from the National Archives Series: Nixon White House Photographs, 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974.