Get the information you need with my picks for the Top Twenty Essential US Government Web Sites. There are literally hundreds of thousands of US government and government-related Web sites online today, however, I found that these sites consistently offer the best user experience, helping you to find what you need quickly, easily, and efficiently.
1. USA.gov
2. Library of Congress
Read more about the Library of Congress in my profile titled Library of Congress.
3. THOMAS
Use Google Uncle Sam to find more federal documents.
4. GPO Access Core Documents of U.S. Democracy
Related: You can view all sorts of interesting historical manuscripts at the Manuscript Museum; "the world's largest private holding of important original manuscripts & documents."
5. Federal Citizen Information Center
6. Ben's Guide to US Government for Kids
Related: There are so many great kids sites out there on the Web; here's a few that I visit with my own kids at The Best Kids Sites on the Web.
7. Healthfinder.gov
Related: The Invisible Web has a goldmine of medical databases and specialiazed medical sites that just don't show up on a cursory search in the search engines. Best of all, this information is free. Find out more in my article titled Medical Information on the Invisible Web.
8. NCHS Vital Records
Related: Looking to do a free public records search on the Web? I've put together a Top Ten list of where to find the best free public record search databases online, from obituaries to census records. Read more in Top Ten Free Public Records Search Picks.
9. The White House
Related: The Web is great for finding all sorts of fun stuff, not the least of which is tracking the President's activities. Find out more in The President of the United States - Online.
10. US Census Bureau
Related: Explore census data with the Historical Census Browser, a service from the University of Virginia Library Geostat Center.