POLI SCI 191: Remaking American Politics: Political Transformations from the 1930s to the Present
Contact Your Librarian
- Susan Edwards

- Office Hours: By appointment
- Office Location: Education Psychology Library, 2600 Tolman Hall
- Contact Info:
510-643-6224
About this Guide
This seminar will consider the dynamics of several major transformations in American politics since the 1930s.Major topics will include: the rise and consolidation of the New Deal in the 1930s-40s; the civil rights movement and party realignment on issues of race; the Great Society of the 1960s; the rise of the conservative movement in the 1970s-90s; and the sharp increase in partisan-ideological polarization since the 1980s.
Find articles
Some of the political science databases most relevant to this course are listed below -- or you can see the complete list.
UC eLinks and Citation Linker
Sometimes the database you search doesn't link to the fulltext -- it only gives the citation. Click the
button to see if Berkeley has it online, and if not, it will check for a print version. And if we don't have it at all, it lets you request it through Interlibrary Loan.
What if there isn't a
button??? Sometimes you find an article in a bibliography, a book or a footnote -- and you want to see if we have it. The Citation Linker searches through our online databases to see if it's available fulltext. If not, it sets up a search for the paper journal in Melvyl. And if we don't have it at Berkeley, it lets you request it through Interlibrary Loan.
Find Books
UCB: Use OskiCat to find books related to your topic at UC Berkeley. Oskicat will show you where it's located, and will also show you the Library of Congress Subject Heading -- which can help you find material other relevant books.
UC: Not enough books at Berkeley? Use Melvyl to find more books at other campuses in the UC system. Click on the REQUEST button to get through Interlibrary Loan.
World: Still want more? You can search thousands of libraries through WorldCat on FirstSearch and then request the material through UC e-links or directly via Interlibrary Loan.
Google Books: Library catalogs don't search inside of books. Google Books can help you identify the book you need, then click on "Find in a Library" to see if we have it.
Lexis Nexis Tips
- Use truncation (wildcard) to search different forms of the word (child* retrieves child, child's, children)
- Use 'proximity connectors' -- w/[number], for example (youth or adolescent or teen*) w/25 homeless*. (You can also use w/s for within sentence, or w/p for within paragraph but you can't also combine these with the number of words.)
- Change the display to Expanded List -- shows you your search terms, plus a few words on either side.
- Change display to Relevance if it is on Chronological (if date is really important to you, restrict to the date range you want in the search box).
E-books
Gov Info
These resouces can help you discover and locate information from the government. More resources can be located in the Library's Government Information pages.
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American Presidency Project
Contains all major publications of the U.S. Office of the President, including: Public Papers of the President, Inaugural Addresses, Executive Orders, Signing Statements, and other information such as radio addresses, party platforms, videos of debates, and popularity polling data. This project was developed by two political science professors at UCSB.
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ProQuest Congressional
One stop shopping for U.S. congressional publications. Provides index and abstracts of congressional publications back to 1789, including full text Congressional Hearings from 1824-present, full text Committee Prints from 1830-present, full text Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports from 1916-present, full text United States Congressional Serial Set from 1789-1969, and legislative histories from 1970-present.
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CQ Electronic Library
A reference source on American politics and government that includes the following modules: CQ Congress Collection, CQ Political Handbook of the World, CQ Researcher Plus Archive, CQ Supreme Court, CQ Voting and Elections, CQ Washington Information Directory, CQ Weekly. Access individual modules or search across all CQ collections.
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CQ Weekly
Provides nonpartisan information about US government and congressional affairs and subjects of concern. This online version also provides access to some articles prior to when they appear in the print version of CQ Weekly. Part of the CQ Electronic Library collection.
News Resources
Here are some general news and newsmedia databases. For a full listing of the Library's news resources, check this list.
Citation Management Tools
Citation management tools help you manage your research, collect and cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, but any are easier than doing it by hand! The Library offers workshops on Endnote, Zotero, and Refworks! Or contact your librarian for individual help.
- Zotero: A free plug-in that keeps copies of what you find on the web, permits tagging, notation, full text searching of your library of resources, works with Word, and has a free web backup service.
- RefWorks - free for UC Berkeley users. It allows you to create your own database by importing references and using them for footnotes and bibliographies. Use the RefWorks New User Form to sign up.
- EndNote: may be purchased from UC Berkeley's Software Central for about $80.
It's always good to double check the formatting -- sometimes the software doesn't get it quite right.
Citation Workshops
The Library scheduled workshops are over for this semester -- but I am happy to offer a drop-in workshop for any group of four or more. Just let me know some times that work for you, and we will work something out!
Research Advisory Service
Research Advisory Service for Cal Undergraduates
Book a 30-minute appointment with a librarian who will help refine and focus research inquiries, identify useful online and print sources, and develop search strategies for humanities and social sciences topics.
Schedule, view, edit or cancel your appointment online (CalNetID required)
This service is for Cal undergraduates only. Graduate students and faculty should contact the library liaison to their department or program for specialized reference consultations.
Ask a Librarian 24/7 Chat
Ask a Librarian 24/7 Chat
Connecting from Off Campus?
You can access UCB Library resources from off campus or via your laptop or other mobile device using one of two simple methods:
Proxy Server
After you make a one-time change in your web browser settings, the proxy server will ask you to log in with a CalNet ID or Library PIN when you click on the link to a licensed resource. See the setup instructions, FAQ, and Troubleshooting pages to configure your browser.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
After you install and run the VPN "client" software on your computer, you can log in with a CalNet ID to establish a secure connection with the campus network.
Campus Library Map
Click on the image below to see a larger interactive version of the campus library map.

You can also view/download a PDF map of library locations. For library contact information and building addresses, visit our directory.
Google Scholar and UC e-links
- Set up your proxy server access by following the directions at http://proxy.lib.berkeley.edu/. When you get to a point where you are accessing resources that the Library pays for, you will be prompted for your CalNet ID and password.
- Change your “Scholar Preferences.” Access these by clicking on the link next to the search box.
- In search box next to "Library Links," type in University of California Berkeley and click on “Find Library”
- Check box next to "University of California Berkeley - UC-eLinks
- Click on "Save Preferences" at bottom of page
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