PS 410 Political Podcasting: National, Regional, and Local Sources
Portland's Unique Commission Structure
The City of Portland is phasing out its commission form of government. This means a change in roles and responsibilities for elected officials and city organization. To learn more about these changes check out the links below:
Portland's Commission Form of Government:
The City of Portland has the last remaining Commission form of government among large cities in the United States. The Mayor, four Commissioners and the Auditor comprise the City's six elected officials. The Mayor and the Commissioners together make up the City Council. The commission form of government differs from most other municipal governments in that its members have legislative, administrative and quasi-judicial powers.
Legislative: The City Council meets weekly in the Council Chambers to conduct the City's legislative business. The Council adopts the City budget and passes laws, policies and regulations that govern the City.
Administrative: The Mayor and Commissioners also serve as administrators of City departments, individually overseeing bureaus and carrying out policies approved by the Council. The assignment of departments and bureaus is determined by the Mayor and may be changed at his or her discretion. Bureau assignments do not necessarily correspond to departmental titles. (For example, the Commissioner of Public Works may not necessarily have any of the public works bureaus in his or her portfolio.)
Quasi-Judicial: Council members also act in a quasi-judicial capacity when hearing land-use and other types of appeals.
Information from: Office of the City Auditor (2015) Learn about City Government. Available here: https://www.portland.gov/council-clerk/learn
Portland Maps
- Portland MapsCity of Portland site for metropolitan area geographic data. Search by street address or geography for many types of data including assessed and market values, as well as elevation, crime data, and school district information.
- Portland > Historic Maps OnlineProvided by the Portland Bureau of Sustainability, a collection of digitized historical views of Portland and its environs. Some items held in tangible form at the City Archives.
- Metro > Maps and ToolsDiscover tools to find your Metro Councilor, your garbage hauler, or a place to donate leftover food or recycle near you. Look up your address on interactive maps that show the urban growth boundary, sensitive habitat areas and more.
- Portland Planning Bureau: Historic Resources and PreservationProvides information about historic landmarks in Portland as well as historic Portland maps.
Portland Neighborhoods
- Portland NeighborhoodsListing of neighborhood associations.
- Census Data for Portland NeighborhoodsNeighborhood demographic profiles.
- Portland Planning Bureau: Historic Resources and PreservationProvides information about historic landmarks in Portland as well as historic Portland maps.
- Portland Transition: Geographic DistrictsMaps and information about Portland's transition to elect three city councilors to represent each of four new geographic districts, expanding the city council to a total of 12 people.
Portland Newspapers
Selected newspapers in the Portland area:
- Asian ReporterPacific Northwest-based newspaper features international and local northwest news and events with an Asian focus.
- Daily Journal of CommerceCovers construction news, real estate, urban planning, energy, and transportation news for the greater Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. PSU faculty/staff/students please log in with your PSU (ODIN) ID to view username/password. Visitors please contact the Reference Desk.
- Historic Black Newspapers of PortlandNewspapers published by Black-owned presses in Portland and the Pacific Northwest from the 1910s to the 1980s
- Portland Business Journal
This link opens in a new window
Provides access to Portland Business Journal (and other city business journals) and Book of Lists. You must create an individual account to access.
PSU faculty/staff/students please create an account using your PDX email
- Portland MercuryLocal news, politics, and gossip.
- Portland ObserverLocal paper committed to cultural diversity.
- Portland TribuneLocal paper with news, politics, and opinion.
- The SkannerAdvancing the Black Press in the Pacific Northwest.
- Street RootsStreet Roots — published weekly in Portland, Oregon — has been Portland's flagship publication addressing homelessness and poverty since 1998.
- Willamette WeekLocal news and politics.
Regional and Local Resources
- Policy Commons CitiesContains reports generated by local government agencies, civic organizations, and metropolitan and regional planning agencies for major cities in the United States and Canada.
- City of PortlandThe city of Portland's official website. Find committee meeting agendas and minutes, reports, publications and more from the city's bureaus.
- Census Data for Portland NeighborhoodsNeighborhood demographic profiles.
- Institute of Portland Metropolitan StudiesAdvances the economic, environmental, and social goals of the Portland metropolitan region by gathering and disseminating credible information, convening regional partners, and stimulating dialogue and action about critical regional issues.
Regional Government Websites
National Resources
- Policy CommonsProvides indexed access to government grey literature and reports from national and international governmental agencies.
- PolicyMap
- This link opens in a new window
Provides mapping, data, and analytics tools on U.S. demographics, real estate, health, jobs, education, and more topics. Mapping allows for multiple layers and editable data ranges.
The Oregonian
- Oregonian
Access to the Oregonian from 1987 to present. Additionally, 2017 to present is available in image format (digital reproduction of the print).
- Oregonian -- Historical Backfile 1861-2018
Contains archival, full text articles of the Oregonian from 1861 to 2018, presented in image format (digital reproduction of the print).
- Oregonian Newspaper Index Search (1852-1987)Indexes citations to Oregonian articles published from 1852 to 1987.
Print and microform holdings:
The PSU Library has microfilm holdings of the Oregonian from 1862 - 2018 (AN .O74; 2nd floor).
The print paper is received on the Oregonian's print delivery days: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The print papers are shelved in the newspapers section on the 2nd floor of the Library. The print copies are retained until the microfilm is received (about a three month lag).
Additional Oregon Papers
- Historic Oregon NewspapersIncludes digitized Oregon newspapers from many smaller towns throughout the state. Dates of coverage vary per paper .
- Oregon Newspaper IndexIndexes the Oregonian (Portland, 1852-1937) as well as the University of Oregon student newspaper, The Daily Emerald, and The Register-Guard (Eugene).
- Eugene Register GuardRegister Guard's free website offering selected news coverage. Also offers fee-based article delivery of Register Guard articles from 2001 to the present.
- Salem Statesmans JournalWeb site of the Statesmans Journal provides selected content.