Watch your government in action

One of the keys to democracy is a transparent government. That is the primary reason for the freedom of the press. Citizens should be able to stay informed.

One valuable tool for staying informed is C-Span. This cable channel broadcasts live video from government functions. This includes sessions of Congress and congressional committee meetings.

Of course, most of us are too busy to watch it live. Fortunately, there’s the C-Span video library. This site is a free archive of C-Span broadcasts. Videos are posted the same day as the live event.

The database has an extensive search function. You can filter by date, topic, category and keywords. Many recent videos also have transcripts linked to video time codes. Easily find a single person's statement in a five-hour session.

Other impressive features also exist, such as the Congress section. All members of Congress are listed. Select a member to view all available videos in which they speak. Video links go directly to their speeches.