There is a Research Guide on Criminal Justice, including data on crimes and more. Here are a few government sources to highlight:
There is also an Education guide, which includes more information.
A number of important federal documents (the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, etc.) have been digitized and made available to the general public. Access to these documents is often also provided with a number of supporting documents which provide analysis and useful context.
If you're looking for legal information, please contact the Thormodsgard Law Library. Their services, including reference and circulating books, are available to undergraduate and non-law graduate students as well.
Many resources for mapping and GIS data can be found in the Maps/Mapping guide.
Policy resources can also be found in the Political Science & Public Administration guide, but here's a sampling of what's out there:
One of the single best resources for learning about the US Population is the Census. It is mandated by law that the Census Bureau conduct a nationwide census every ten years (the data from this effort creates the decennial census, which most people think of simply as 'the' census). There are also other census resources, including the American Community Survey, which are conducted more often.
For any census prior to 1990, access to the official US Census data is only available in print or microformat (the library has the Census from 1790-1990 in various formats; ask at the Reference Desk). There are also some unofficial sources linked below that allow you to analyze data from before 1990 electronically.
If you're looking for Supreme Court case law, please contact the Thormodsgard Law Library. Their services, including reference and use of materials, are available to undergraduate and non-law graduate students as well.
Additionally, here are some Supreme Court resources that are useful: