Undoubtedly, the daily grind of congressional hearings passes by most Americans unremarked and probably unseen. Only the most high-profile will make the evening news. But they are the very stuff of government.

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL looks back at a years-worth of hearings held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the investigative arm of the House, and speaks with the Committee Chair, Representative Henry Waxman, about the Committee's role in the government:

"It's almost like having a policeman on the beat. If no one thinks they're being watched and being held accountable, they think they can get away with anything."

THE JOURNAL highlights just a few of the hundreds of hearings Congress holds each year. Hearings are an important, flexible tool for the legislative branch. They can be used to educate the legislators, by calling up experts or opening the hearing to public, or to draw attention to an issue. Or, in the case of the House Oversight Committee, to investigate other branches of government. Hearings can lead to reports, bills, or even additional hearings.

Though hearings and their records are mostly public information, few people have had practical access to them. Attending hearings in Washington, D.C. is difficult for the average American, and the traditional process to obtain transcripts is obscure and cumbersome.

But the Internet may change that. The government has been slow to capitalize on the Internet's potential to help disseminate information, but a growing online community, led by a few organizations, has stepped in to help sort through and organize the affairs of state and make them accessible from anywhere.

And if you don't want to wait for BILL MOYERS JOURNAL's next recap of hearings, or want to start your own Armchair Oversight Committee, there are many sites that will be helpful.

The House, unfortunately, is not so simple. Audio of hearings — if available — is on each individual committee's website, making it far more difficult to browse. Capitolhearings.org does have a list of links to each House Committee's Web site, but that's about as good as it gets. It is available here: (House Committees).

To see video of hearings, visit C-SPAN.org the day of the hearing (C-SPAN publishes its schedule daily, not before) and click on the schedule link. C-SPAN has several webstreams going at any time and is a great resource for watching the workings of government. Unfortunately, it doesn't save the videos online, so you cannot access them after the fact.

Published on February 1, 2008.