Government Surveillance

McCutcheon, Chuck. "Government Surveillance: Is government spying on Americans excessive?" CQ Researcher 30 Aug. 2013: 717-40. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.  How tightly the government should keep tabs on citizens has long been fiercely debated. But concern about surveillance intensified in June after National Security Agency computer specialist Edward Snowden revealed classified details of agency electronic snooping programs. Civil liberties advocates, lawmakers and others also have cited growing unease with other surveillance measures, including the use of unmanned “drone” aircraft and tiny video cameras. Congress, along with state and local governments, is expected to take up a variety of bills this fall to protect privacy and increase transparency about government activities. But the Obama administration maintains that internal safeguards — including a federal civil liberties oversight board created in 2004 — have prevented the federal government from becoming “Big Brother.”From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

Articles

 su(privacy and ("national security" or "intelligence gathering")) AND (united states) - 900+ articles on the subject of privacy as it relates to national security in the United States.

"Edward Snowden" AND PUB(Washington Post) - 1300+ articles mentioning former NSA contractor turned leaker Snowden, from one of the papers he worked with.

Books

National Security Agency - United States
 
Web

NSA FIles: Decoded - What the revelations mean for you.  The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Ltd. Web. 1 Nov. 2013  6 part interactive site with documents, graphics, and video interviews with multiple perspectives/viewpoints,

Distracted Driving

Drive Safely Work Week is Oct. 1-5, 2012

Hosansky, David. "Distracted Driving: Should driver texting and cellphone use be banned?" CQ Researcher 4 May 2012. Drivers have long tried to manage any number of distractions ranging from eating a snack and reading a map to dealing with unruly children in the backseat and putting on makeup. But with the increasing popularity of cellphones and texting, distracted driving has emerged as a central concern of safety experts. Studies indicate that distractions are involved in more than 5,000 traffic fatalities every year. Most states have enacted laws to restrict texting or talking on handheld cellphones, and policymakers face calls for a near-total ban even on hands-free communications devices — including those that are built into the dashboards of new cars and heavily marketed by automakers. But even if more restrictive laws were passed, many motorists would find it hard to set aside the devices they have come to rely upon to make business and personal calls and also to check websites or update their Facebook pages. From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

Websites:
distraction.gov - Official U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving. U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Natl. Highway Safety Administration. Offers news, facts, research and an overview of state laws.

Guns

Mantel, Barbara. Gun Control: Should lawmakers tighten firearm restrictions? CQ Researcher March 8, 2013. The debate over gun control has been inescapable since last December, when Adam Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., before taking his own life in one of the nation's most horrific mass shootings. There have been marches and protests, Super Bowl advertisements, emotional and contentious congressional and state hearings and a new, tough gun-control law in New York state. Polls show broad bipartisan public support for expanding background checks to include private gun purchases, although support is weaker and more polarized for a ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. Yet momentum may be fading in Congress for passage of any new gun-control legislation as members grapple with the federal government's looming debt limit and this month's automatic budget cuts.From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

Jost, Kenneth. "Gun Rights Debate." CQ Researcher 31 Oct. 2008. The Supreme Court gave gun rights advocates a major victory on June 26, recognizing for the first time an individual right under the Second Amendment to own and possess firearms. The 5-4 decision struck down a handgun ban adopted by the District of Columbia in 1976. Gun rights advocates the very same day began challenging

Gay Marriage

Articles:

EBSCOhost Subject Search: same-sex marriage OR (gay rights AND marriage) - 2900+ full text articles

ProQuest Subject Search: Login to Proquest to construct this search: (same sex marriage) OR (gay* and marriage) - over 6900 full text articles

"States Debate Marriage Rights (Research Feature)." June 2009. Facts On File World News Digest - issue summary with links to key news events and other features.

Gay Marriage Showdowns: Will voters bar marriage for same-sex couples? CQ Researcher 29 May 2012.

Books:

Catalog - search su:Same-sex marriage or su:gay couples or gay marriage

Ebrary
Sullivan, Andrew. Same-Sex Marriage : Pro and Con. Knopf: 2004.

Alderson, Kevin and Kathleen Lahey. Same-Sex Marriage : The Personal and the Political. Insomniac Press : 2004

Reference Article:

"Defense of Marriage Acts." National Survey of State Laws. Ed. Richard Leiter. 6th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008.

Web:

State By State: The Legal Battle Over Gay Marriage. NPR.org. 16 Apr. 2009.