Explore "Congress in Context" on ProQuest Congressional

Federal legislation does not occur in a vacuum. Understanding the historical context of a Congressional term can bring a greater understanding of how the legislation was impacted by economic conditions, major world events, Landmark Supreme Court cases, and partisan divisions and leadership. The Congress in Context feature on ProQuest Congressional examines the 116 Congressional sessions "to discover more about the setting, personnel and events which may have influenced the legislation created during a particular Congressional period."

Find Congress in Context in the middle of the ProQuest Congressional homepage.

The Congressional sessions are listed in reverse chronological order, and each session opens as a separate PDF document. Each document explores the historical background, international conflicts, economic trends and conditions, and other major events that may have impacted the legislation of each Congressional session. Summaries of Landmark Supreme Court cases and major legislation passed are also included.

ProQuest Congressional is a membership database available to all Jenkins members.