Connect U.S. Legislation and Policy to Data and Societal Impacts
Trends and Policy Collection is a policy-focused resource that brings together U.S. government documents, federal statistics, and news coverage with contextual features designed to trace policy development and outcomes. Researchers can analyze policy impacts in a single destination, supporting scholarship in political science, history, law, public policy, and sociology.
Navigate six U.S. policy areas through dedicated pages to search and browse content featuring curated topic pages and timelines. Navigate each topic individually or cross search all topics.
Currently, Trends and Policy Collection has the following focused topics:
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- U.S. Civil Rights
- U.S. Criminal Justice
- U.S. Environment
- U.S. Healthcare
- U.S. Immigration
- U.S. Taxes and the IRS ( Coming in 2025)
Customer Resources
View the Trends and Policy Collection Brochure
View the U.S. Executive Branch Policy Documents Collection Brochure
Find training and informational resources - including Accessibility.
Essential U.S. Policy Content
Primary Sources and Data
Discover legislative materials (Public Laws, Hearings, Bills, Congressional Research Service reports, U.S. Government Accountability Office reports), executive agency reports, downloadable federal statistics, and major newspaper coverage providing historical context
Research Tools
Explore topic pages providing policy context, detailed timelines tracking policy evolution, and cross-collection searching capabilities
Focused Topics
Access to curated U.S. Civil Rights, U.S. Criminal Justice, U.S. Environment, U.S. Healthcare, and U.S. Immigration policy materials
Focused Topics
Trends and Policy: U.S. Civil Rights
Explore civil rights policies and their real-world effects.
Curated Topic Pages cover such areas as:
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Freedom of Religion
- Freedom of Speech
- Jim Crow Laws
- Women’s Right Movement
Trends and Policy: U.S. Criminal Justice
Trace the Path from Legislation to Real-World Outcomes of Criminal Justice Policies.
Curated Topic Pages cover such areas as:
- Criminal Justice Reform Movement
- Criminal Psychology and Mental Health
- Gun Control
- The War on Drugs
- Crime Control Act of 1990
Trends and Policy: U.S. Environment
Explore how human interaction with the environment is changed by government policies.
Curated Topic Pages cover such areas as:
- Clean Air Act
- Endangered Species Act of 1973
- Fracking and the Production of Oil and Gas
- Native Americans, Natural Resources, and the Environment
- Pollution and Health
Trends and Policy: U.S. Healthcare
U.S. healthcare is one of the most salient, controversial, and debated topics today.
Curated Topic Pages cover such areas as:
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic
- Health Disparities
- Medicaid/Medicare
- Mental Health
- The Battle for Universal Coverage
Trends and Policy: U.S. Immigration
Gather a complete understanding of U.S. government policy on immigration.
Curated Topic Pages cover such areas as:
- Border security
- Detention of children
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Sanctuary cities
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