Congress

Among the most consequential — and controversial — roll-call votes that members of Congress cast during President Obama’s first term were those on cap-and-trade legislation, the economic stimulus and, of course, health care reform. How these votes subsequently affected legislators who ran for reelection in 2010 is of acute interest both to political scientists who study the interplay between votes and election consequences, and to campaign observers who are assessing the reverberations of these votes.

The record-breaking number of home foreclosures in recent years has prompted calls to ban subprime mortgage financial instruments. But there are a variety of types of subprime loans, and not all may be associated with higher default rates.

During the 1960s and 1970s, protest was central to American political discourse — against the Vietnam War, for the environment and women’s rights, against the abuse of political power. The Reagan years added social issues to the range of contentious subjects, but large-scale protest fell out of favor in the 1990s.

College campuses are where many great journalists first were bitten by the investigative reporting “bug” and first experienced the thrills, and challenges, of digging into a complex story. Nothing beats talking to students, faculty, staff and members of surrounding communities, of course. But online databases and sources can provide context and data, and generate new stories and fresh angles.

Listed below are some online databases to get you started. But a bit of background before you dive in: