Government Documents

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns#"> <head><link rel="preload" fetchpriority="high" as="image" href="https://www.infoplease.com/sites/infoplease.com/files/styles/webp_image/public/inline-images/iStock-140443836.jpg.webp" /> <link rel="preload" as="image" href="https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/images/logo-white.svg"> <link rel="preload" as="image" href="https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/images/search.png"> <link rel="preload" as="image" href="https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/images/mag-glass.svg"> <script> /*@shinsenter/defer.js*/ !function(r,i,t){var u,o=/^data-(.+)/,a='IntersectionObserver',c=/p/.test(i.readyState),s=[],f=s.slice,l='lazied',e='load',n='pageshow',d='forEach',h='hasAttribute',m='shift';function v(e){i.head.appendChild(e)}function p(e,n){f.call(e.attributes)[d](n)}function y(e,n,t,o){return o=(o=n?i.getElementById(n):o)||i.createElement(e),n&&(o.id=n),t&&(o.onload=t),o}function b(e,n){return f.call((n||i).querySelectorAll(e))}function I(t){b('source',t)[d](I),p(t,function(e,n){(n=o.exec(e.name))&&(t[n[1]]=e.value)}),e in t&&t[e]()}function g(e){u(function(o){o=b(e||'[type=deferjs]'),function e(n,t){(n=o[m]())&&(n.parentNode.removeChild(n),(t=y(n.nodeName)).text=n.text,p(n,function(e){'type'!=e.name&&(t[e.name]=e.value)}),t.src&&!t[h]('async')?(t.onload=t.onerror=e,v(t)):(v(t),e()))}()})}(u=function(e,n){c?t(e,n):s.push(e,n)}).all=g,u.js=function(n,t,e,o){u(function(e){(e=y('SCRIPT',t,o)).src=n,v(e)},e)},u.css=function(n,t,e,o){u(function(e){(e=y('LINK',t,o)).rel='stylesheet',e.href=n,v(e)},e)},u.dom=function(e,n,t,o,i){function c(e){o&&!1===o(e)||(I(e),t&&(e.className+=' '+t))}u(function(t){t=a in r&&new r[a](function(e){e[d](function(e,n){e.isIntersecting&&(n=e.target)&&(t.unobserve(n),c(n))})},i),b(e||'[data-src]')[d](function(e){e[h](l)||(e.setAttribute(l,''),t?t.observe(e):c(e))})},n)},u.reveal=I,r.Defer=u,r.addEventListener('on'+n in r?n:e,function(){for(g();s[0];t(s[m](),s[m]()))c=1})}(this,document,setTimeout); </script> <script> window.ramp = window.ramp || {}; window.ramp.que = window.ramp.que || []; </script> <script async src="//cdn.intergient.com/1022050/69785/ramp_config.js"></script> <script> window._pwGA4PageviewId = ''.concat(Date.now()); window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.gtag = window.gtag || function () { dataLayer.push(arguments); }; gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-0DSNBPN98G', { 'send_page_view': false }); gtag( 'event', 'ramp_js', { 'send_to': 'G-0DSNBPN98G', 'pageview_id': window._pwGA4PageviewId } ); </script> <script> var current_date = 2024-11-21; var current_year = 2024; var current_day = 21; var current_month = 11; </script> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <script> var zflag_nid="305", zflag_cid="48112/41562/1", zflag_sid="4677", zflag_width="1", zflag_height="1", zflag_sz="15";</script> <meta name="description" content="In law and government, primary sources are vitally important; they are quite literally the letter of the law by which governments operate. We've gathered here a bevy of sources about government in the U.S. and internationally, to better inform readers about how and why governments do what they do. " /> <meta name="referrer" content="no-referrer" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="InfoPlease" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.infoplease.com/primary-sources/government" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Government Documents" /> <meta property="og:description" content="In law and government, primary sources are vitally important; they are quite literally the letter of the law by which governments operate. We've gathered here a bevy of sources about government in the U.S. and internationally, to better inform readers about how and why governments do what they do. " /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/images/og_logo_pos.jpg" /> <meta property="og:updated_time" content="2017-02-12T21:40:42-05:00" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 10 (https://www.drupal.org)" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" /> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <style>div#sliding-popup, div#sliding-popup .eu-cookie-withdraw-banner, .eu-cookie-withdraw-tab {background: #0779bf} div#sliding-popup.eu-cookie-withdraw-wrapper { background: transparent; } #sliding-popup h1, #sliding-popup h2, #sliding-popup h3, #sliding-popup p, #sliding-popup label, #sliding-popup div, .eu-cookie-compliance-more-button, .eu-cookie-compliance-secondary-button, .eu-cookie-withdraw-tab { color: #ffffff;} .eu-cookie-withdraw-tab { border-color: #ffffff;}</style> <script type="application/ld+json">{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Government Documents", "name": "Government Documents", "description": "In law and government, primary sources are vitally important; they are quite literally the letter of the law by which governments operate. We\u0027ve gathered here a bevy of sources about government in the U.S. and internationally, to better inform readers about how and why governments do what they do. ", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "representativeOfPage": "True", "url": "https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/logo.png", "width": "2582", "height": "1722" }, "datePublished": "2017-02-12T21:40:42-0500", "dateModified": "2023-03-03T08:19:17-0500", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.infoplease.com", "name": "Infoplease" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.infoplease.com", "name": "Infoplease", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.infoplease.com/themes/ip/logo.png", "width": "280", "height": "100" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.infoplease.com/primary-sources/government", "articleBody": "style\u003EThe U.S. Constitution created the current government of the United States in 1789. In law and government, primary sources are vitally important; they are quite literally the letter of the law by which governments operate. This has been the way for thousands of years, as various civilizations have written up their legal codes and issued decrees to their subjects. We\u0027ve gathered here a bevy of sources about law and government in the U.S. and internationally, to better inform readers about how and why governments do what they do. Anti-Federalist PapersThe Anti-Federalist Papers are a collection of letters and arguments made by opponents of the U.S. Constitution. These prominent thinkers raised concerns with the document and the ratification proceedings, both ethical and practical. In the centuries since the Constitution was ratified, different political groups have referred back to the Anti-Federalist Papers for their keen insight into some of the potential weaknesses and limitations of the Constitution; most notably, they influenced the passage of the Bill of Rights. Common SenseCommon Sense is a massively influential pamphlet by American thinker Thomas Paine. The pamphlet outlined the \u0022common sense\u0022 principles that underlaid American government and the push for independence from Great Britain. Revolutionaries publicly read the pamphlet across the country, and it was perhaps the most powerful tool for rousing the public to fight for independence. The CourtsThe Supreme Court has heard a lot of cases in its vaunted history. The opinions of the court inform how we understand and implement laws in the United States. The Supreme Court has both established \u0022separate but equal\u0022 and struck down public segregation. The court even gave itself the power to do so in Marbury v. Madison. We\u0027ve collected a bunch of important records of the Supreme Court as a valuable reference on U.S. law. The ConstitutionThe U.S. Constitution, as it explains in its sixth Article, is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It is the basis of the U.S. government, its practices, and is what gives the government its authority to pass laws and act for the public. Study of the Constitution is a career in itself, but anyone can study their rights and the limits of U.S. government authority. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers are some of the most influential documents in U.S. political history, as they spearheaded the adoption of the Constitution back in 1789. They outlined the rationale and principle behind the articles of our Constitution, and explored how the document could adapt to different challenges and situations. They remain a good first stop on the road to understanding U.S. government. Presidential SpeechesThe presidents give a lot of speeches. Inaugural addresses, State of the Union addresses, and other addresses as the need arises. These speeches give us a great insight into the beliefs and practices of different administrations, as well as inform us about different moments of U.S. political history. Some, like the farewell addresses of Washington and Eisenhower, even continue to influence the way we talk about politics today. The United NationsCertain conventions of the United Nations act as the basic principles of international law. From the Convention Against Torture, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the International Law of the Sea, UN-mediated talks have proved crucial in establishing norms and standards between nation, and continue to guide foreign policies today. Miscellaneous DocumentsLots of influential documents don\u0027t really fall into these neat buckets, or they are singularly important. For example the Declaration of the Rights of Man had a cultural impact on the political culture of the United States, but doesn\u0027t warrant its own category. This is the bucker for the \u0022everything else\u0022 of powerful and important writing. 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href="/math-science/weights-measures" target=""> Weights & Measures </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li><li class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu we-mega-menu-group" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" data-id="29a78c62-ce20-4f1e-bb70-da47b92141ae" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="0" data-group="1"> <span data-drupal-link-system-path="<front>" class="we-megamenu-nolink">Calendar & Holidays<i class="arrow down"></i></span> <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu"> <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner"> <div class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0"> <div class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-hidewhencollapse="0"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul"> <li class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="2" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" data-id="7ebfbf4a-de2b-460b-930f-1928372833d7" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="0"> <a 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Documents </li> </ol> </nav> <h1 class="page-title"><span>Government Documents</span> </h1> <section class = "main-section col-sm-12" id="mainaside"> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> <article data-history-node-id="81453"> <style type="text/css"> /*<![CDATA[*/ .col {width: 48%; align: left; float:left;} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { .col { display:block; width:100%; } } /*]]>*/ </style><figure role="group" class="align-center"><picture><source srcset="/sites/infoplease.com/files/styles/webp_image/public/inline-images/iStock-140443836.jpg.webp 1x" media="all and (min-width: 0em)" type="image/webp"><img alt="U.S. Document Constitution" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5bfc2bd-3645-4ee7-a18a-cfe8ebc5bb5c" src="/sites/infoplease.com/files/inline-images/iStock-140443836.jpg" width="100%" height="600" /></picture><figcaption><em>The U.S. Constitution created the current government of the United States in 1789. </em></figcaption></figure><p>In law and government, primary sources are vitally important; they are quite literally the letter of the law by which governments operate. This has been the way for thousands of years, as various civilizations have written up their legal codes and issued decrees to their subjects. We've gathered here a bevy of sources about law and government in the U.S. and internationally, to better inform readers about how and why governments do what they do. </p> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6"> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/anti-federalist-papers">Anti-Federalist Papers</a></h3> <p>The Anti-Federalist Papers are a collection of letters and arguments made by opponents of the U.S. Constitution. These prominent thinkers raised concerns with the document and the ratification proceedings, both ethical and practical. In the centuries since the Constitution was ratified, different political groups have referred back to the Anti-Federalist Papers for their keen insight into some of the potential weaknesses and limitations of the Constitution; most notably, they influenced the passage of the Bill of Rights. </p> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/common-sense">Common Sense</a></h3> <p><i>Common Sense</i> is a massively influential pamphlet by American thinker <a href="/encyclopedia/people/social-science/government/paine-thomas">Thomas Paine</a>. The pamphlet outlined the "common sense" principles that underlaid American government and the push for independence from Great Britain. Revolutionaries publicly read the pamphlet across the country, and it was perhaps the most powerful tool for rousing the public to fight for independence. </p> <h3><a href="/us/government/judicial-branch/the-supreme-court">The Courts</a></h3> <p>The Supreme Court has heard a lot of cases in its vaunted history. The opinions of the court inform how we understand and implement laws in the United States. The Supreme Court has both established "separate but equal" and struck down public segregation. The court even gave itself the power to do so in <em>Marbury v. Madison. </em>We've collected a bunch of important records of the Supreme Court as a valuable reference on U.S. law. </p> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/constitution">The Constitution</a></h3> <p>The U.S. Constitution, as it explains in its sixth Article, is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It is the basis of the U.S. government, its practices, and is what gives the government its authority to pass laws and act for the public. Study of the Constitution is a career in itself, but anyone can study their rights and the limits of U.S. government authority. </p> </div> <div class="col-sm-6"> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/federalist-papers">The Federalist Papers</a></h3> <p>The Federalist Papers are some of the most influential documents in U.S. political history, as they spearheaded the adoption of the Constitution back in 1789. They outlined the rationale and principle behind the articles of our Constitution, and explored how the document could adapt to different challenges and situations. They remain a good first stop on the road to understanding U.S. government. </p> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/presidential-speeches">Presidential Speeches</a></h3> <p>The presidents give a lot of speeches. Inaugural addresses, State of the Union addresses, and other addresses as the need arises. These speeches give us a great insight into the beliefs and practices of different administrations, as well as inform us about different moments of U.S. political history. Some, like the farewell addresses of Washington and Eisenhower, even continue to influence the way we talk about politics today. </p> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/united-nations">The United Nations</a></h3> <p>Certain conventions of the United Nations act as the basic principles of international law. From the Convention Against Torture, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the International Law of the Sea, UN-mediated talks have proved crucial in establishing norms and standards between nation, and continue to guide foreign policies today. </p> <h3><a href="/primary-sources/government/miscellaneous">Miscellaneous Documents</a></h3> <p>Lots of influential documents don't really fall into these neat buckets, or they are singularly important. For example the Declaration of the Rights of Man had a cultural impact on the political culture of the United States, but doesn't warrant its own category. 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