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1. Introduction

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This database maintained by the University of Richmond offers a searchable database of constitutions, charters, amendments, and other related documents for nations around the world.

Political Database of the Americas

The Political Database of the Americas (PDBA) is a project of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Georgetown University and the Organization of American States. The PDBA offers information about institutions and political processes, national constitutions, branches of government, elections, and other subjects related to countries in the region of the Americas. The information is objective and independent.

International Monetary Fund and the World Bank

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are the two most important multilateral institutions working to facilitate global monetary cooperation, financial stability, international trade, sustainable economic growth, and poverty reduction. Their respective sites offer information about the organizations, detailed data on the more than 184 member countries, and searchable databases of their country data, studies, and working papers organized by title, subject, author, and country.

Political Resources on the Net

A Web site with listings of political sites available on the Internet, sorted by country, with links to political parties, nongovernmental organizations, governments, and underrepresented people and nations (UNPO). The links for underrepresented people and nations have extensive information about ethnic, religious, indigenous, and other groups that are often invisible to mainstream media sources.

U.S. Department of State

The World Factbook

Official Web sites of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Both organizations provide detailed and updated analyses for the countries of the world. Both the State Department’s Background Notes and the CIA’s World Factbook provide intelligence and reporting about developments and factual reference materials for countries and selected issues.

ElectionGuide

ElectionGuide is provided by International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), an international nonprofit dedicated to building democratic societies. ElectionGuide was launched by IFES in 1998 with a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development. ElectionGuide is the most comprehensive and timely source of verified election information and results available on-line. This resource can be used to stay up to date with recent election results and keep track of important upcoming elections around the world.

Centre for Civil Society

Hosted by the Centre for Civil Society at the London School of Economics, this link is a comprehensive on-line resource for the study of civil society. This site has many good case studies, including the Civil Society Working Paper (CSWP) series, which provides updated information on research concerning nongovernmental, voluntary, nonprofit, foundation, and social enterprises.