Research, Citation, & Class Guides: Political Science: Statistics, Data & Opinion

General (multi-topic) and Directories of Statistical Agencies

Census.gov
Data collected includes: Population & Housing Census (every 10 years), Economic Census (every 5 years), Census of Governments (every 5 years), American Community Survey. See https://data.center.gov to search across data on the nation's people and economy.
Data.gov
Search for government data, or browse by topic
Foreign and International Government Statistical Agencies (Purdue University)
Note: Not all countries offer the option to use their sites in English.
NationMaster
Data sources include national statistical agencies, governments, international organizations and more (UNDP, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UNCTAD, WTO, World Bank, World Health Organization, OECD and many others).
Pew Research Center - Politics & Policy
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. It does not take policy positions.

Statista
- This link opens in a new window
Statistics and other quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a variety of other areas of interest.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Selected statistics, up to 2012, on the social, cultural, political, and economic organization of the United States. For newer data, see the annual ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States (latest edition in print format in the 2nd-floor Reference Collection; earlier in the 3rd-floor Main OVERSIZE Collection HA202 .P7)

Statistics, Data & Mapping/GIS Sources in State Agency Databases
Links to sources compiled by members of the American Library Association's Government Documents Round Table.
UNdata
Search across many UN statistical databases at once.

Elections

American National Election Studies (Stanford University & University of Michigan)
ANES produces high-quality data from its surveys on voting, public opinion, and political participation. Register and login to view the links and download data.
Australian Election Study (Australian National University)
British Election Study (University of Manchester and The University of Oxford)
Election and Voting Information (Federal Election Commission)
Every two years, the FEC publishes Federal Elections, a compilation of official, certified federal election results. These publications include primary, runoff and general election results for the Senate, the House of Representatives and (when applicable) the President.
more...less...
FEC also publishes a Combined Federal/State Disclosure and Election Directory.

Opinion

General Social Survey (National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago)
Pew Research Center
An independent think tank and research/polling service, Pew Research Center often has surveys about general social media use and trends in America.

Roper iPoll
Public opinion poll questions and answers on social issues, politics, pop culture, international affairs, science, the environment, and much more. Results from 1935 to the present from academic, commercial and media survey organizations.
Effective May 2020, pre-existing credentials for personal login will not provide access to new Roper iPoll platform. A new account will be required.

Miscellaneous Topics

Immigration Data and Statistics (Homeland Security)
Includes the annual Yearbook of Immigration Statistics since 1996.
Parline (Inter-Parliamentary Union)
Global data on national parliaments.
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Linked from here: National Use-of-Force Data Collection, National Incident-Based Reporting System, Hate Crime Statistics, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, Crime Data Explorer.
UCR Publications (to 2019)
Historical Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) publications, including Crime in the United States (1995-2019), Hate Crime Statistics (1996-2019), topical crime reports such as human trafficking, and more.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
One of the 13 principal federal statistical agencies in the Executive Branch focused on the collection, compilation, processing, or analysis of information for statistical purposes. BJS's particular focus is on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States
Call Number: HA202 .P7 (2nd-floor Reference Collection, 3-day checkout); earlier editions in 3rd-floor Main OVERSIZE Collection
ISBN: 9781641433921

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICSPR)

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICSPR) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is perhaps the largest online archive of social science data. UW-Whitewater is not a subscribing member, so you can usually view codebooks but not data, although it also links to some external data that may be openly accessible. Use the Google Scholar links to publications to determine whether UW-Whitewater provides access to the publications (to work off campus, configure your Google Scholar settings).

The 13 Federal Statistical Agencies

Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S. Department of Commerce) The Bureau's webpage has information and statistics on regional, national, and international economic issues.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) (U.S. Department of Justice) One of the 13 principal federal statistical agencies in the Executive Branch focused on the collection, compilation, processing, or analysis of information for statistical purposes. BJS's particular focus is on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (U.S. Department of Labor) The BLS provides data and analysis on topics including employment and unemployment; compensation, wages, and earnings; benefits; productivity; and workplace injuries and fatalities.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (U.S. Department of Transportation) BTS provides data and analysis on topics related to all modes of transportation (aviation, freight, highway, rail, maritime and inland waterways, pipelines, mass transit, bicycles, and pedestrian. This includes inbound border crossing data (using in any transportation mode) at the borders with Mexico and Canada.
Economic Research Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) The ERS anticipates trends and emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment, rural American economy, and global markets and trade. Its economic research informs public and private decision making and public policy.
U.S. Energy Information Administration EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.
National Agricultural Statistics Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) NASS conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture, such as production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers. It conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years, providing consistent, comparable, and detailed agricultural data for every county in America.
National Center for Education Statistics, NCES (U.S. Department of Education) NCES is primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides information on the academic performance of the nation's students, but many other programs are run by NCES. Its annual publications include the Condition of Education, Digest of Education Statistics,and Projections of Education Statistics.
National Center for Health Statistics As the principal national health statistics agency, NCHS provides statistical information that guides actions and policies to improve the health of the American people.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation) NCSES is the nation's leading provider of statistical data on the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. As a principal federal statistical agency, NCSES serves as a clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of objective science and engineering data on research and development; STEM workforce and education; and U.S. competitiveness.
Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (Social Security Administration) This SSA office provides statistical data on OASDI and SSI program benefits, payments, covered workers, and other indicators; and data for research and statistics related to other social security issues. Under "Statistics & Data Files" can be found data on recipients, income of the population 55 or older, earnings and employment data by state and county, facts & figures about social security, and more.
Statistics of Income Division (Internal Revenue Service) Statutes mandate the annual publication of statistics related to “the operations of the internal revenue laws” as they affect: Individuals, all forms of businesses, estates nonprofit organizations, trusts, and investments abroad and foreign investments. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data Book is published annually and contains statistical tables and organizational information per fiscal year, with data on collecting the revenue, issuing refunds, enforcing the law, assisting the taxpayer, and the budget and workforce.in the United States
United States Census Bureau (U.S. Department of Commerce) The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.