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Political Science
Guide to research in political science.
Think-Tanks & Associations
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- American Political Science AssociationThe world's largest organization for the study of political science has a wealth of information for graduate students as well as for professors.
- Association for Diplomatic Studies and TrainingPublishes the ADST-DACOR (Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired) Diplomats and Diplomacy Series as well as memoirs and occasional papers.
- Think Tanks & Civil Societies ProgramThis U Penn program produces an annual directory of think tanks by geographical interest.
- Gale Directory Library (GDL) This link opens in a new windowProvides access to the comprehensive Encyclopedia of Associations for national, international and local associations and organizations.
- Brookings InstitutionPerhaps the most widely respected think tank in the U.S. Two of Brooking's strengths are governance studies and foreign policy.
- Cato InstituteA libertarian and free-market conservative think tank. Many of CATO's publications are freely available on their website. CATO is perhaps even stronger in its coverage of economic issues than political ones.
- Center for American Women and PoliticsA great source of data for women in politics, including state information on women elected officials. Texas ranks 25th among state legislatures for the proportion of women in the Texas Legislature (23.8 %)
- Chatham HouseThe Royal Institute of International Affairs in London is one of the world's most influential think tanks. Publishes reports, briefing papers, working papers, and other material. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
- Center for Strategic and International StudiesBipartisan, non-profit research and policy analysis organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
- East West CenterEstablished by Congress in 1960 the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific.
- Hoover InstitutionThe Hoover Institution publishes several online journals, including Defining Ideas (articles written by Hoover's working groups), Hoover Digest (article by Hoover scholars) and Policy Review.
- Council on Foreign RelationsIndependent non-partisan membership organization, think-tank and publisher. Published work on site is organized by topic, geographic region, and by type such as Expert Briefs, Daily News Briefs, and Interviews.
- Rand CorporationRand provides research and analysis of social, scientific, and national security issues to clients worldwide. It has a host of free PDF publications on its website.
- Belfer Center for Science and International AffairsProvides leadership in advancing policy-relevant knowledge about the most important challenges of international security and other critical issues where science, technology, environmental policy, and international affairs intersect; and prepares future generations of leaders for these arenas.
- Foreign Policy Research InstituteInstitute devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S. national interests.
- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral AssistanceThis Sweden-based NGO has outstanding links to databases concerning global voter turnout, electoral systems of independent states worldwide, and more.
- International Institute for Strategic StudiesThe IIS publishes the Adelphi Papers as well as the annual Military Balance, an assessment of the military prowess of 170 countries.
- International Peace InstituteAn independent, international not-for-profit think tank located in New York dedicated to promoting the prevention and settlement of conflicts between and within states by strengthening international peace and security institutions.
- MIT Center for International StudiesPublishes the Foreign Policy Index, which is an annual review of U.S. foreign policy by subject area.
- Stockholm International Peace Research InstituteSIPRI is well known for its SIPRI Yearbook (search Library Quick Search for holdings), which " . . . serves as a single uthoritative and independent source to which politicians, diplomats and journalists can turn for an account of what has happened during the past year in armaments and arms control, armed conflicts and conflict resolution, security arrangements and disarmament. - website.
- Weatherhead Center for International AffairsThe Weatherhead center disseminates publications (articles, occasional papers, etc.) written by faculty members at Harvard. Many are freely available in pdf format.
- Bipartisan Policy CenterProvides timely information on important U.S. policy issues.
- National Conference of State LegislaturesServes the legislators and staff of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. Provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues.
- Nelson A. Rockefeller institute of GovernmentSome of the Institute's work is oriented toward New York State issues, but the institute also works on a few broad issues (education, healthcare, cities and neighborhoods) of interest to all state policymakers.
- Pew Research Center: State and Local GovernmentThe Pew Center on the States operates and supports projects that assess how states are performing in key areas of public policy. This is an excellent site for state-specific data on a wide range of social, health and economic issues.
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)ASEAN consists of 10 member states, including Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia. Among other objectives, it promotes regional peace, stability and trade. The "Resources" link on the home page leads users to various ASEAN publications.
- Eurasianet.orgProvides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, Turkey, and Southwest Asia.
- ISEASCenter dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment.
- National Bureau of Asian ResearchNBR conducts advanced independent research on strategic, political, economic, globalization, health, and energy issues affecting U.S. relations with Asia.
- Nordic Institute of Asian StudiesFocuses on innovative research within the social sciences and history [and] works with a geographical focus on East or Southeast Asia.
- Freedom HouseTwo of this organization's significant publications are Freedom in the World, an annual survey of civil rights in 193 countries, and Nations in Transit, tracking the progress of democratic change in 29 formerly Communist states in Russia and Eurasia. See also their annual report Countries at the Crossroads; the 2012 edition covers 29 countries.
- Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is best known for its annual publication World Report, which characterizes human rights in over 90 countries and territories. The 24th Annual World Report was published in January 2014.