Click for larger image.

Edited By:
Richard A. Clucas - Portland State University
Mark Henkels - Western Oregon University
Brent S. Steel - Oregon State University

 


Welcome to the Oregon Politics and Government website!

This site was initially created so readers of Oregon Politics and Government: Progressives versus Conservative Populists (University of Nebraska Press, 2005) could easily look further into the books subjects. But the driving purpose of the site now is to provide the public, students, and scholars a doorway into the many internet resources concerning Oregon’s government, politics, and policies. To accomplish this larger goal, the authors need to hear from those using the site.

Please help improve the site. Contact me if you find links do not work or to suggest new links to add.

Dr. Mark Henkels
Public Policy and Administration
Western Oregon University
henkelm@wou.edu

 

Internet Resources on Oregon Politics: 

Valuable General Web Sites

General Sites on Oregon Politics and Policy

Oregon Policy Directory

This sight has extensive links to government, interest group, advocacy, and other sites relating to Oregon's government, politics, culture, and public policy.

Oregon Center for Public Policy
This site is an excellent source for analyses of data on Oregon's taxation and social programs.


The following web sites are very useful sources for general information and comparative analysis of a very broad range of state and local issues.
State and Local Government on the Net
Washington Post's "News from the States"
Governing Magazine
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Pew Center for the States
Nelson Rockefeller Center on the States


Sites that Relate to Specific Areas of Oregon Government and Politics, Organized by Chapter

Chapter - Subject
Internet Resource and Site Location
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction

The Nine States of Oregon

"The Nine States of Oregon," special series in the Oregonian, November 2003.
Oregon On-Line

Oregon Blue Book
The Blue Book is the official guide to Oregon government, providing information on all levels and branches of government, as well as general information on the state, published every two years by the Secretary of State.
Oregon State Library Publications
This web site includes a list of the major public documents it distributes to Oregon libraries, some online version documents are available through links.
Oregon's Constitution

Chapter 2: Place, People
Chapter 2: Place, People

PSU Center for Population Research and Cenus
The Population Research Center at Portland State University is the official source for all population information for the state. The center produces a variety of reports on social, economic, and demographic trends both for the state and for local governments.
US Census Bureau
National Association of Counties Data Page
US Bureau of Economic Anaylsis
Chapter 3: Oregon in the Nation and the World
 Chapter 3: Oregon in the Nation

The U.S. Census Bureau provides a wealth of information on Oregon in comparison with the nation in general, including economic, social, and demographic data. A good place to begin looking is at the Bureau's American FactFinder page for the state:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=04000US41&_geoCon$
The Statistical Abstract of the United States provides a wide variety of
comparative information on the states: http://www.census.gov/statab/www/.

Information on export figures from Oregon is available through the US
Department of Commerce at http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/state/.

Agricultural export data is available from the U.S. department of
Agriculture: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/StateExports/.

Links to the web pages for all of Oregon's ports are available through the
secretary of state's web site:   http://www.sos.state.or.us/bbook/local/other/other03.htm
Chapter 4: Parties and Elections

Chapter 4: Parties and Elections


Project Vote Smart's Oregon Home Page
Voter Information Services
Election Data
The Elections Division in the Secretary of State's office provides material on a wide variety of topics, including state election laws, party registration figures, a log of recent initiatives and referenda, and past elections results through its official web site. The site also provides a searchable database on campaign finance and state elections.

Chapter 5: Direct Democracy
Initiative and Referendum Institute
Chapter 6: Interest Groups  Chapter 6: Interest Groups
Chapter 7: Media

Chapter 7: Media


Newspapers
The largest newspaper in the state is The Oregonian, which provides a good source of information on politics and government in the state, as well as other news. The Statesman Journal also devotes considerable attention to state politics. Based in Salem, it provides hometown coverage of the events in the state Capitol. Another source is the Eugene Register-Guard. The Oregon State Library provides a searchable index to these three newspapers, as well as several smaller ones. Also, many university and local libraries provide access to current and archival newspaper mat
erial.

An excellent source for broadcast analyses of Oregon issues can be found through Oregon Public Broadcasting. This site provides a wide range of reports and interviews covering both historical and late-breaking issues.

Major local television stations have websites that feature information about local and state politics and issues. The Secretary of State's Media webpage provides direct links to these websites.

Chapter 8: The Legislature
Legislation and Laws
Information on the Oregon Legislative Assembly. The site provides information on individual legislators, the legislative process, measure histories, session statistics, and other related topics.
Laws Passed By Legislative Assembly
A searchable index of all the laws passed by the Legislative Assembly.
National Conference of State Legislatures
This site provides a nation-wide perpsective of state legislative issues.
Chapter 9: Governor

Chapter 9: Governor


Oregon Governor's Office
Oregon Department of Justice
The web site includes information on the department's role in the state, as well as a database on opinions rendered by the Attorney General.
National Governors Association
This site provides an overview of issues that the nation's governors are concerned about.

Chapter 10: Bureaucracy
Oregon State Archives
This site provides access to various elements of rule-making and published regulations, as well as to agency audits by the Secretary of State.
Chapter 11: Judiciary

Chapter 11: Judiciary


Oregon State Courts Home Page
Oregon Supreme Court Philosophy
For a nice overview of Oregon Supreme Court's philosphy, see Jack. L. Landau, "Hurrah for Revolution: A Critical Assessment of State Constitutional Interpretation," Oregon Law Review Vol. 79, No. 4
Court System and Opinions
The web site for the Oregon Judicial Department provides the opinions of teh Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Tax Court, along with general information on the court system.
National Center for State Courts
This site provides information on a wide variety of matters concerning state judicial systems.

Chapter 12: Local Government

Chapter 12: Local Government


League of Oregon Cities (LOC)
The City Center, Research Division of LOC
Association of Oregon Counties
Metropolitan Service District Development
For a history of Metro, see Carl Abbott and and Margery Post Abbott, "Historical Development of the Metropolitan Service District."

Chapter 13: Budgeting
Federation of Tax Administrators
Government Finance
The Legislative Fiscal Office and Legislative Revenue Office Regularly conduct research on issues related to government spending and taxes in Oregon.
Oregon Budget and Management Division
The Oregon Budget and Management Division develops the governor's budget and oversees beduget-related issues, the web site also provides links to the governor's budget and legislative action.
Governor's Budget in Brief Index
Government Performance

Information on Oregon's efforts to measure government performance found at the Oregon Progress Board. This site also includes data on the performance of both state and county governments.
Government Finance

The Legislative Fiscal Office and Legislative Revenue Office regularly conduct research on issues related to government spending and taxes in Oregon.
Chapter 14: Environmental Policy  Chapter 14: Environmental Policy
Chapter 15: Health Policy
Oregon Program for Health Policy and Research
This site presents past and present data and analysis of the Oregon Health Plan.
Chapter 16: Social Issues

Chapter 16: Social Issues


Economy and Demographics
The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis serves as the main forecasting unit for the state of Oregon, producing the state's economic and revenue forecasts, as well as othjer reports. Several of the office's reports, including the economic forecasts, are available online at the above link.
Public Opinion Polls
The only regularly conducted public opinion poll in Oregon is one that is administered every two years by the Program for Governmental Research and Education at Oregon State University. The poll focuses on voter understanding of and attitude toward government programs and taxation. The Oregon Progress Board conducts a social survey of Oregon residents every two years as well, tracking trends in economic well-being, health care, and other social issues. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the "Linkages" to access a large number of survey databases.
Local Concerns
The University of Oregon Library contains a detailed bibliography of sources to find data and other information on local areas in Oregon. The library's web site provides links to statistics on agricultural, economic, educational, environmental, welfare, and other issues.

Chapter 17: Education Policy
Oregon Department of Education
Chapter 18: Oregon in Perspective  Chapter 18: Oregon in Perspective