Government Resources: Find Government Agency & Organization Sites

This guide is about finding government information, including federal (U.S.), state, and foreign governments as well as international/ intergovernmental organizations. Andersen Library, a selective depository for government documents (federal and Wisconsin), is open to the public, including providing access to government information on the Internet.

USA.gov (official portal to U.S. Government)

• Benefits.gov
  Government benefits information; help find grants, loans, financial aid, and more
• Congress.gov
  Official source for federal legislative information, replacing THOMAS.gov in 2014
• Data.gov
  Search for government data, or browse by topic
• GovLoans.gov
  Government loan information, including business and education loans
• Grants.gov
  Find and apply for grants for organizations
• Health.gov
  Government health information
• Regulations.gov
  Find and comment on federal regulations
• Science.gov
  Government science information

• GovSpeak: A Guide to U.S. Government Acronyms & Abbreviations (UC San Diego)
• DoD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
• USG Compendium of Interagency and Associated Terms

Federal (U.S.)

• A to Z index of departments and agencies (USA.gov)
• Official US Executive Branch Web Sites (Library of Congress)
• U.S. Congress: House of Representatives | Senate
• Court Locator (U.S. Courts)
• U.S. Government Manual - annual handbook

States & Local (U.S.)

• Wisconsin: Wisconsin.gov | State Government Agencies | Legislature: Assembly (WI) | Senate (WI) | Blue Book (recent years via Legislative Reference Bureau) or the historical archive (via University of Wisconsin Digital Collections)
• All 50 states: State Government Information (Library of Congress) | State, Local,and Tribal Governments (USA.gov)
• Local: County Explorer (National Association of Counties)
  Jefferson County | Rock County | Walworth County | About Wisconsin Municipalities (League of Wisconsin Municipalities) | City of Whitewater.

Foreign Governments (Worldwide)

• List of Foreign Governments (Northwestern University)
• Foreign and International Government Statistical Agencies (Purdue University Libraries)

Intergovernmental Organizations

• List of IGOs (International Governmental Organizations) (Northwestern University)
• International Organizations (Library of Congress)
• Specific Organizations:
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  • United Nations (UN) | About (member states, main organs, specialized agencies)
  • World Bank
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)

See also the guide for "Organizations - Inter-Governmental, Non-Governmental."

U.S. Digital Registry  (USA.gov) - searchable inventory of official government social media accounts, mobile websites and apps, as reported and authenticated by federal managers

U.S. Government YouTube Videos - A chronological listing of federal government videos on YouTube. Also searchable.

Reference Desk (Andersen Library)
Phone (262) 472-1032
Call or visit during Desk hours

Make an appointment

Get help: Ask a librarian by email or 24/7 live chat