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Politics: Government
Our government is supposed
to be of the people, by the people and for the people. Is it? Most would
say no. So why are we today so far away from representative government
as embodied in the Constitution? The answer is at once both simple and
frightening...because we let it. Too few citizens care enough to get involved,
and the less we are involved, the more intrusive government becomes. Thomas
Jefferson wrote, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield
and government to gain ground." Without
eternal vigilance, freedom will be
lost.
Elections are the lifeblood
of our democracy. We choose our representatives based on what they stand
for and how they run their political campaigns.
Understanding the process, the candidates and the issues is vitally important
in making informed choices.
The sites below show what is going
on in government and how to get involved,
how to make your voice heard and
how to make a difference. It has
been said that the only thing necessary
for evil to triumph is for good people
to do nothing. While that is true,
history is filled with examples of
people not willing to accept the
status-quo and working to change
it. It may not be easy,
but it is doable. After all, the
only difference between winners and
losers is that winners get up one
more time than they get knocked down.
American
Family Association
Legislative action center. Legislative updates, congressional directory,
executive orders watch,
pending legislation, daily briefings, congressional votes, current legislation
and how it would
affect you.
Judicial
Watch
Judicial Watch,
Inc., a non-partisan, non-profit
conservative foundation based in
Washington, D.C., was established
to serve as an ethical and legal "watchdog" over
our government and judicial systems
to promote needed political and legal
reform. Current cases, press releases,
articles, newsletter, media clips,
etc.
American
Conservative Union
Provides previous
House and Senate votes, vote
analysis, current congressional
ratings, legislative
alerts,current issues and more. You can also contact your Congressmen
and Senators. ACU's purpose is to effectively communicate and advance
the goals and principles of conservatism by supporting capitalism, the
doctrine of original intent of the framers of the Constitution, traditional
moral values and a strong national defense.
Eagle
Forum
Current legislation,
action alerts, historical documents, executive orders, legislators votes
and current issues. Also has a congressional
scorecard so you can see how
your representatives voted. Eagle
Forum's mission is to enable conservative
and pro-family men and women to participate
in the process of self-government
and public policy making so that
America will continue to be a land
of individual liberty, respect for
family integrity, public and private
virtue, and private enterprise.
Concerned
Women for America
Find out
about current legislation and how
it will affect you. The largest public
policy women's organization in the
nation dedicated to protecting the
family.
Citizens Against Government
Waste
Publications (Pig Book, Prime Cuts and others), politician ratings, government
spending evaluation, policy forums to highlight the worst offenses, current
issues, legislation and how to contact your representative. A 600,000
member, private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating
Americans about the waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in the federal
government.
Project
Vote Smart
Through a toolkit of
free services, programs and materials,
this national nonpartisan, nonprofit
effort researches, tracks and provides
to the public independent factual
information on over 13,000 candidates
and elected officials. Voting records,
campaign issue positions, performance
evaluations by special interests,
campaign contributions, backgrounds,
previous experience and contact information
are available. The whole system provides
a powerful tool for accountability.
It allows citizens to look over the
shoulders of their elected representatives
daily, to monitor and supervise them,
and to compare their campaign promises
with their actual job performance
once in office.
Competitive
Enterprise Institute
Current issues, competition and regulation policy, environmental policy,
economic policy and a free market legal program. The Competitive Enterprise
Institute is a nonprofit public policy organization dedicated to the principles
of free enterprise and limited government. They believe that consumers
are best helped not by government regulation but by being allowed to make
their own choices in a free marketplace.
Executive Branch
White House
Official site.
Library
of Congress
Federal departments, agencies, boards and commissions.
Legislative
Branch
Library
of Congress
Legislation, Congressional
Record, committee information, committee
hearing schedules, legislative process,
historical documents, House and Senate
directories, searchable
information about the US Congress
and the legislative process. Search
bills, by topic , bill number, or
title. Search through and read the
text of the Congressional Record
for the 104th, 105th, and 106th Congresses.
Search and find committee reports
by topic or committee name.
US
House of Representatives
Official site. Find
out who your Representative is and
get phone, address and e-mail and
search bills.
US Senate
Official site. Find
out who your Senators are and get
phone, address and e-mail and search
bills.
Judicial Branch
Federal Courts
Understanding the federal courts, frequently asked questions, publications,
directories, press releases, and links to the 11 federal circuit courts.
State and Local Governments
Library
of Congress
State and local government links, including governors,
judicial, legislative contacts, legislation, departments, agencies, boards,
commissions, counties and cities.
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