Research briefs are written by staff as part of the Institute's civic education initiative. The briefs focus on primary sources found in the Congressional and Political Research Center at the Mississippi State University Library. The intended audience for the briefs include elected officials, classroom teachers, and anyone with an interest in congressional and political affairs.

• A Legacy of Ethics from the "Conscience of the Senate" (200-1236-06)
  Founding fathers and authors, for example, of The Federalist Papers, spent little time on the issue of ethics. Integrity in a century of recognition of “natural law” was something seemingly inborn. Thus began the long and distinguished history of the United States’ upper and lower legislative chambers.
• Stennis, Sputnik & How the Space Race Changed America (200-1236-05)
  Starting in the late 1950s, the world became enamored by space exploration, setting off by the “Space Race” — an extension of the Cold War into a new realm. For most of his career, Senator John Stennis served on the Senate Space Committee, which worked to oversee United States’ efforts to explorer the universe outside our own planet, contemplating defense, offense and intellectual pursuits. This brief will explore the early efforts of the United States to explore space; special attention will be given to the influence of Mississippi’s own John Stennis.
• John C. Stennis and the CIA (200-1236-04)
  As a result of the recognition of a need for systematic intelligence collection for defensive objectives, the National Security Act of 1947 was passed, creating the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA would be the dominant force in American intelligence activity for the second half of the 20th century. This same year John Stennis was elected to the Senate in a special election. For most of his career, Stennis would serve on the committee charged with CIA oversight. In discussing the formation of the modern CIA, this brief will focus special attention on the influence of the Armed Services Committee and Senator John Stennis.
• John C. Stennis and the Watergate Controversy (200-1236-03)
  For two years in the early 1970s, America was enthralled in a Presidential scandal that threatened to forever change the landscape of American politics. During 1973 and 1974, there was one subject that was in every newspaper, being discussed around every corner, and on the mind of every American: Watergate. By mid-May 1973, Gallup polls indicated that 96% of eligible voters in the United States had heard about Watergate. In exploring the events, special attention will be paid to the role and opinions of Senator John Stennis based on his congressional papers.
• John C. Stennis and the Censure of Joseph McCarthy (200-1236-02)
  A censure in the United States Senate is a formal reprimand disapproving the actions or behavior of a fellow Senator. There is no Constitutional provision for censures but the Senate is provided the ability to expel its members by a two-thirds vote; the censure was adopted as a lesser punishment. In the history of the Senate, only nine Senators have been censured; in 1954, when the resolution was brought against McCarthy that number was five.
• John C. Stennis and the 1947 Senate Campaign (200-1236-01)
  In 1947, a special Senate election would change the course of political history in Mississippi and the nation for years to come. The 1947 campaign of John Stennis would catapult him to Washington, setting him on the path to becoming one of the most respected political figures in Mississippi history. In discussing the special Senate election, special attention will be paid to the campaign of John Stennis.