CONGRESSIONAL UNIVERSE

Quick Guide for University of Michigan Affiliates

Description

Congressional Universe is a commercial web service which permits researchers to document the federal legislative process, in part since 1970, and almost in its entirety since 1993.

Access

Congressional Universe is a web-based product. The URL is:

http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp.

It is available through the University of Michigan network to all workstations on campus and to current University students, faculty and staff who connect via an ITD telecommunications package to a private Ann Arbor NAS telephone number (734-489-2222). It cannot be accessed by University affiliates through commercial services, such as America On-Line, or through MICHNET telephone numbers throughout the State.

Search Protocols

Most files can be searched by

Keyword

• Boolean Operators
  AND [e.g. nuclear and weapons]
  OR [e.g. nuclear or atomic]
  AND NOT [e.g. nuclear and not atomic]
  ATLEASTn [e.g. atleast5 (budget)] (budget must appear 5 times)
• Proximity Indicators
  Phrases are assumed [e.g. tax reform]
  W/S [e.g. pakistan w/s india] (words in same sentence)
  Not W/S [e.g. pakistan not w/s india] (words not in same sentence
  W/P [e.g. pakistan w/p nuclear] (words in same paragraph)
  Not W/P [e.g. pakistan not w/p nuclear] (words not in same paragraph)
  W/n [e.g. clinton w/5 health care] (words within 5 of one another in any order)
  Not W/n [e.g. clinton not w/5 health care] (words not with 5 of one another)
  PRE/n [e.g. Martin pre/2 King] (first word within 2 of second word)
  Not PRE/n [e.g. New not pre/1 York] (first word not within 1 of second)
• Search Segments can be used with keyword searching; segment first with term in parentheses
  descriptors (freedom of speech)
  committee (foreign relations)
  title (agent orange)
  summary (free trade)
  bills (S. 1) testimony (nader)
• Truncation Symbols
  Truncation symbol for single letter is * [e.g. wom*n]
  Truncation symbol for multiple letters is ! [e.g. child!]
• Date may be searched as keyword in many files [e.g. Sept. 19, 1996]
• Year (for hearings) or Congress (for other publications)

Publications files may also be searched by a pre-defined subject term

Special protocols for individual files

Features Not Included in Congressional Universe

Congressional Quarterly	Committee Markups	Committee Votes	CRS Reports
Floor Calendars	Lobby Groups	Presidential Action

Related Documents Center Publications

Congressional Universe
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/compass.html

More detailed guide to Congressional Universe with reference to alternate sources.

Legislative Histories in the United States Congress

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/legishis.html

Complete guide to the legislative process from choosing a topic and bill introduction to the issuing of agency regulations. Includes cross references to committee and member information, lobby group influence, and public opinion.

Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center
The University of Michigan Library
Comments and suggestions to Grace York

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/compass2.html

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