If you're looking for information about our government, you're in luck on the Internet. You'll find email listings for members of Congress, websites of the different departments, and even federal statistics.

We'll begin our tour at Government Information at INFOMINE. This impressive site features links to anything and everything "government." Are you interested in government asset sales for the state or local government? How about information on acid rain? Criminal justice data? The site is searchable by keyword, or you can browse the massive resources by subject, keyword, or title.

Here's an interesting site: 1998 Congressional Candidate Profiles. Would you like to know how much money the candidates are spending on their election and where all the money is coming from? Simply click on the state of your choice, then on the district. Fascinating information!

Would you like to glance over the federal budget? Maybe you'd like to read the Economic Report of the President? At GPO Access, Keeping America Informed Electronically, you'll have access to over 70 federal databases, including congressional bills and reports, House and Senate calendars, public laws, and more.

At Government.TheLinks.com, you'll have access to state, federal, and world government links. Each state offers information about the different departments including email addresses, websites, and institutions of higher learning.

The Hill is a subscription-only newspaper whose target audience is composed of Congress, the Executive Branch, Cabinet-level Departments, and public interest and lobbying groups. As it states at the website, "The Hill reports and analyzes the actions of Congress as it struggles to reconcile the needs of those it represents with the legitimate needs of the administration, lobbyists and the news media." Read the online version at this website.

If you're interested in federal statistics in areas such as crime, poverty, population, and job injuries, visit FedStats, which posts statistics from over 70 government agencies.

Would you like to know how to contact your federal lawmakers by e-mail? No problem. E-Mail The Federal Lawmakers offers a no-nonsense listing of e-mail addresses as well as addresses for some House committees.

Another helpful no-nonsense site: U.S. Government Commonly Used Abbreviations and Acronyms.

"The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of Government programs and activities." Access the GAO Homepage to read allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of federal funds.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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