U.S. Government Information: United States Federal

Publication Dates: 1789-Present
Every law, public and private, enacted by the Congress is published in the Statutes at Large in order of the date of its passage.

Search the library catalog and Williams WorldCat for published materials of these agencies, using the agency as AUTHOR. Example: United States Commission on Civil Rights in Williams WorldCat.

The three branches of the federal government — legislative, executive, and judicial — operate within a constitutional system known as "checks and balances." This means that although each branch is formally separate from the other two, the Constitution often requires cooperation among the branches. Federal laws, for example, are passed by Congress and signed by the President. The judicial branch, in turn, has the authority to decide the constitutionality of federal laws and resolve other disputes over them, but judges depend upon the executive branch to enforce court decisions.

The United States Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. At its discretion, and within certain guidelines established by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin in the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important questions about the Constitution or federal law.

The U.S. Reports are the official record of the rulings, orders, case tables, and other proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Provides access to vital sources of information about the workings and essential activities of the U.S. Government through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

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