Read all ten sections of Article I of the Constitution, which lay out the powers of the legislative branch of the federal government.

Resource provides the full text of the final report of the Annapolis Convention September 14, 1786.

Read the text of Article II of the Constitution, the four sections of which lay out the powers and duties of the executive branch of the federal government.

Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications.

Find the report by John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, to the Secretary of the Interior, describing how he was trying to right many of the wrongs in the federal government's dealings with Native Americans as a result of the...

The German Law Archive publishes cases, statutes, literature and bibliographies on German law in English language.

In this 1962 speech, Mississippi governor Ross Barnett defies the Supreme Court's order to admit James Meredith to the University of Mississippi claiming the federal government was interfering in a state matter.

A very interesting look at the efforts made by the Wilson administration and the American public in feeding its citizens during World War I. Find out about the extraordinary legal actions taken by the federal government to assure a...

The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which became known as the Indian New Deal, dramatically changed the federal government's Indian policy. This letter by Antonio Luhan to the then-Indian Commissioner gives an impression of its...

A 1934 article depicting the poor quality of housing in the larger cities of America and the Federal government's efforts to correct the problems.

This letter from George Mason shows his Anti-Federalist opinions and opposition to a planned centralized government.

Original photos that look at housing, employment, and unemployment during the hard times of the Great Depression and the changing role of the federal government with the New Deal.

This Executive Order signed by President Bill Clinton on 8/4/99 is an order that describes the balance between state and federal governments, as warranted by the Framers of the Constitution and federalism.

From the Federal Records in the National Archives, find the Table of Contents listing all the records and history of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. (The actual documents themselves are not here.) Click on Administrative History...

Historical document excerpt written in opposition to federalist proposal, October, 1787. Argued against the formation of a federal government and criticized the proposed Constitution. Numbered paragraphs added and spelling modernized.

The Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, in order to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. It created a federal system with a national...

Resource explains how during the time of the Civil War the Supreme Court used Article I, Section 10, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution to show that the Confederation formed by the seceding States had no legal existence. The site also...

At this site you can read Chapter XVI, Of Conquest, by John Locke stating that the basis of any government must be the consent of the people, and implying in the writing that war or revolution is often mistaken as consent. (Published in...

The preamble is the introduction to the Constitution. It outlines the general goals of the framers: to create a just government and to ensure peace, adequate national defense, and a healthy, free nation. With its first three words, "We...

The original text of The Virginia Plan presented at the Constitutional Convention. Discusses federal versus consolidated government.

The Governor of Wisconsin's remarks on monetary policy. The article discusses the effective operation of the central bank within government. (October 24, 2000)

A scholarly paper on the U.S. banking debacle of the 1980s and the lesson it holds on government mismanagement. Provides background on the history of savings and loans and draws the conclusion that the banking debacle was primarily an...

This is an annual report issued by the SSA in which they evaluate the state and health of the Social Security program and make projections. It is also in PDF format and there is a summary available.

Read this text of the 16th Amendment, followed by the history of the Amendment and an analysis. (PDF)