[The Alturas Institute’s emphasis on civic education derives, in part, from the fact that too few Americans adequately understand the Constitution and the roles and responsibilities of citizenship. The role of the citizenry, by any measure, includes at a minimum the acquisition of knowledge about the nature and functions of government, engagement in public discourse, and the duty to hold government accountable to the rule of law and the American people. This essay, excerpted from its original publication in the Idaho Humanities Council Newsletter (2012), suggests several ways in which citizens might pursue governmental accountability].