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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Explore General
To browse the focus of the "Consider
the Source" feature in this chapter, go to the Federal Register's (FR) web site. Here you will be able to obtain information on
executive orders, proposed rules, implemented rules, and notices. For information on the policy evaluation
organizations mentioned in the chapter, visit the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional
Budget Office, and the Office of Management and Budget. Each of these web sites contains an immense amount of
information about the budget, reports to and testimony before Congress, and
analysis of programs including Social Security and Medicare. The Census
Bureau provides recent information on the
poverty threshold
and poverty levels in the United States. Federal agencies
The Environmental
Protection Agency's web site is a great place
to search for information on important environmental legislation (see the
"Quick Finder" section on the main page). Among the various types of
other information available on the site are Environmental Resources, which provides information on such things as
environmental internships and a map documenting the day's air quality in each
state. You can also test your "Environmental IQ." Particularly
interesting is the Envirofacts section that allows you to look up information on air and
water quality, toxic waste, and radiation levels in your area. (See Exercises.) Have a question about Social Security? The Social Security Administration's web site should be your first stop. This site contains
information on everything from recent reports that we draw on in your textbook
to the most popular baby names in the previous year. You may access your Social
Security records or calculate
your future Social Security benefits. (See
Exercises.) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services' web site answers any questions people
have about the health care programs, and it provides links to recent media
articles dealing with the programs. The Head Start web site from the Administration
for Children and Families gives visitors an
overview of Head Start programs, a statistical fact sheet that includes
information such as program costs and enrollment, research on the program, and
information on recent Head Start legislation before Congress. The Office of Family Assistance's web site provides a significant amount of information on
TANF, including eligibility requirements, recent caseload statistics, reports
on the program, and information on the program's reauthorization. The Food Stamp program's
web site, located in the Food and
Nutrition Department of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
contains information on qualifying for the program,
research and statistics, and other materials. Interest groups dealing with domestic policy
(For a more complete list of interest
groups, see the Explore section for Chapter 13.) The American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is one
the United States' most powerful interest groups. It is a major player in the
attempts to reform programs such as Social Security and Medicare. On its web
site, visitors can check out the AARP Issues Blog, read the group's analysis of recent legislation affecting
the elderly, and access numerous reports on issues of concern to the elderly.
If you are writing a paper on Social Security or Medicare, this is a good place
to begin your research. However, be aware that the organization has a clear
agenda. Its goal is not necessarily to be objective. One of the country's oldest environmental groups, the Sierra Club, makes
it easy for visitors to contact their members of Congress about a variety of
environmental issues through its web site. Visitors can also check out
candidates and judicial nominees that the group supports as well as track how
their representatives voted on a variety of environmental issues. You can also
Follow in the Footsteps of
Louis and Clark to see how the West has changed
since the 1800s and find special places along the former expedition trail that
you can help preserve and protect. The Concord Coalition is a nonpartisan organization that wants to ensure
Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for all generations while maintaining
fiscal responsibility. Its web site has a substantial amount of research and
statistics about these programs. You can also find out how "fiscally
responsible" your representative's votes are by looking at the Congressional
Scorecard. The Kaiser
Family Foundation's web site is filled with
information and statistics on health care issues generally, and Medicare and
Medicaid specifically. Particularly useful are the Kaiser Polls that are regularly conducted relating to health care issues. (See
Exercises.) KEEPING THE REPUBLIC Be sure to take an active role in shaping the policy that affects your life.
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