Government Printing Office

The U.S. Government Printing Office's core mission, Keeping America Informed, dates to 1813 when Congress determined the need to make information regarding the work of the three branches of government available to all Americans. GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, and preserving published information in all its forms.

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids presents information on our nation, branches of government, historical documents, how laws are made, national versus state government, the election process, citizenship, symbols of U.S. government, games and activities, and links to related resources. Presentations are modified by grade level groupings K–2, 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12. A parent and teacher guide is also included.

The site can also be used to locate federal depository libraries in your state or official government publications, such as Congressional hearings and the national budget, through a search engine. The GPO also offers a variety of materials for sale through their bookstore. Products include civics flash cards which, although intended for naturalization testing preparation, could be of use in the classroom.

Finally, if the history of the organization itself is of interest, the GPO website offers a video and a corresponding transcription providing an overview of GPO history, as well as GPO Congressional testimony from 1994 through 2009.