Pre-Reading Assignments provided by Dr. Stephen Farnsworth
Understanding Public Policy by Thomas Dye
The Mediated Presidency by Farnsworth and Lichter

Youth Leadership Initiative Resources
* Comprehensive and interactive citizenship curriculum linked to state standards
* E-Congress simulates the lawmaking process by engaging students in researching, drafting and passing original legislation.
* Online Mock Election, the largest secure, student-only, online mock election in the nation, using electronic ballots tailored to each student's home legislative

Virginia General Assembly

Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball
This comprehensive Web site run by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics features analyses of presidential elections, Senate, House and gubernatorial races.

City Beat: Emily Battle’s Blog
Emily Battle covers Fredericksburg government for The Free Lance-Star. City Beat is a companion to the Fredericksburg government coverage that appears in The Free Lance-Star. Look here for background, extra information, documents and tidbits that didn’t make it into the print edition. And please, feel free to leave your comments.

Follow the Money. Dick Hammerstrom will show you how.
Free Lance–Star news editor Hammerstrom oversees coverage of state government and politics, Fredericksburg government and police and courts. He is Chairman of the Freedom of Information Committee of the Virginia Press Association and Virginia Sunshine Chairman for the Society of Professional Journalists.

Virginia Coalition for Open Government

Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP)
Information about money in Virginia politics

RichmondSunlight: Tracking Virginia’s Legislature

Tracking a Bill from Introduction to Law
John Garrett, Chief Deputy Clerk of the Senate, will follow the life of Bill SB 735, 2008.