Help:How to research congressional records and positions

This page contains help on how to research the voting records, issue positions and issue group rankings of members of Congress and congressional candidates.

Issue areas

General resources

• Congress.org home page, including issues and action alerts].
• Know the Candidates' scorecard roundup.
• National Journal's 2007 Vote Ratings, and the votes from the House of Representatives and the Senate on which the ratings are based.
• On the Issues' "Political Leaders on the Issues" page.
• Progressive Punch's member and issue database.
• Voteview, the University of California San Diego rankings page on the U.S. Congress and other candidates.
• Voter Information Services' CongressionalReportCards.org section on advocacy groups.
• Where I Stand's Senator and Representative positions.
• OpenCongress.org [1], a project of the Sunlight Foundation [2] and the Participatory Politics Foundation, [3] allows you to track bills, issues, and Congresspeople.

Economic policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Economic Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Issue group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on budget, spending and taxes issues, trade issues, housing and property issues, gambling and gaming and business and consumers issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Education policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Education Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on education.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Elections and government policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Elections and Government Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on government reform, federal, state and local relations, congressional and legislative affairs, executive branch, campaign finance and election issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Energy and environment policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).
• The League of Conservation Voters' scorecard for members of Congress.

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on environmental, energy, animal rights and wildlife issues.
• Sierra Club's positions and endorsements page for issues and candidates.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).
• The League of Conservation Voters' positions on the issues.

Food and agriculture policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Food and Agriculture Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on agriculture issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Health policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Health Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on reproductive, health, abortion issues.
• NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice (for current members of Congress - select a state to see individual ratings for congresspeople).

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Infrastructure and transportation policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Infrastructure and Transportation Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on transportation issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Labor, immigration and retirement policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Labor, Immigration and Retirement Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on senior and social security, immigration, labor, employment and affirmative action, woman's issues, and sexual orientation and gender identity issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

National security and foreign policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:National Security and Foreign Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on veterans, national security, foreign aid and policy, military, and defense issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Rights, liberties and courts

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Rights, Liberties and Courts Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on legal, civil liberties and civil rights, gun, drug, death penalty, and crime issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Communications, science and intellectual property policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Communications, Science and Intellectual Property Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on technology and communication, stem cell research, science and medical research, and arts and humanities issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).

Social policy

Votes:

• Congresspedia's Portal:Social Policy (U.S.) (see articles for votes).
• Project Vote Smart: The "key votes" (for current members of Congress - select a state and then "U.S. Congress" to see individual voting records).

Interest group ratings and endorsements:

• Project Vote Smart: Voting scorecards of interest groups working on welfare and poverty, indigenous peoples, family and children issues.

Positions:

• Project Vote Smart: Positions on issues in their "Political Courage Test" (for all candidates).