Political Science Research Guide: Debates

Debates refer to official transcripts of discussions that take place within Parliament, a Provincial Legislature or the U.S. Congress.  Official transcripts of the Canadian Debates are provided by Hansard - the Official Record Keeper of all discussions in Elected Houses in Canada.  The online record of these transcripts tend to be more current.  For older transcripts see the library's Government Documents Collection.

In the United States, official Transcripts are provided by Congressional Record. 

Aside from Parliamentary Debates, there are also official videos of Leadership Debates that have taken place on television. These recordings are also primary sources that reflect what was actually said.

Manitoba

• Hansard House and Committe Debates for the Legislative Assembly of Canada
  Online record of Debates occuring in the Manitoba Legislature beginning with the 35th Legislature in 1991.  Previous records of these debates can be found in Hardcover in the Library.

Canada

• Debates and Journals of the House of Commons and the Senate
  Provides Full-Text records of activity taking place in Parliament including House of Commons and Senate Debates taken from Hansard.

United States

• Congressional Record 1994-Present
  Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.
   
• Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, Congressional Globe and Congressional Record
  Taken from the Library of Congress: A Century of Lawmaking, this collection includes a number of registers that list debates held in the U.S. Congress from Independence to Present time.  Each can be located on the Right hand side of the Century of Lawmaking Main Page.  They are listed under Debates of Congress.
   
• Journals of Congress
  Also part of the Century of Lawmaking Collection these Journals consists of a record of Congressional Proceedings. Included are the House of Representatives Journal, Senate Journal, the Senate Executive Journal and Maclay's Journal.  All are listed under Journals of Congress.

Canada

•  CBC Archives
  CBC Archives contain a rich array of historical political events including videos of Leaders Debates during Elections. The archives are searchable and browseable. 

United States of American

• Commission on Presidential Debates
  Site contains the written transcripts of U.S. Presidential Debates since 1987