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.

• 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.