That tussle in the House? Call it a teachable moment

"Who knew C-SPAN would be classified as drama?" a friend quipped during the Speaker deliberations last week.

"And they may have to start saying it's for mature audiences," another replied.

And you thought C-SPAN was boring. Ha.

My colleague Tim Rowland has already broken down the boost C-SPAN's gotten this season. Between the Jan. 6 hearings and the Speaker showdown, the network that brings you 24/7 congressional debate, book discussions and history lessons saw its audience numbers surge.

From Tim Rowland:Good news for C-Span: Speaker election antics hint at huge ratings potential

The question is how we interpret that. Have we reached a point where people are actually more interested in the inner workings in government than the past, or is this a temporary distraction?

Either way, the happy news is that more Americans are seeing how their government functions. Or doesn't, as the case may be.

Over many years of covering politics, I've found that many people don't have a good working knowledge of the mechanics of government. That can be attributed to many things, from a genuine lack of interest to the reality that they can conduct their everyday lives without it.

Until some government action affects them directly.

I've also found that without knowing the nuances of government processes, it's easy to make assumptions — good and bad — about public officials, policy, spending, etc., that aren't accurate. And nobody's really immune; I've had to rethink my own perceptions more than once as I've examined the issues or listened to the discussions.

And if we want to be responsible citizens, some examining of the issues is essential.

So while last week's deliberations provided plenty of punchlines for late-night TV hosts, C-SPAN's new popularity heralds a perfect teaching moment if you've got children or grandchildren, and an opportunity to brush up on basic civics for all of us.

It's easier than ever to be informed about government processes; most public documents are now online at government websites for anyone to peruse from your own screen. You can find the text of any state or legislative bill (or helpful summaries that explain what the legislation does without quite so much of the legalese), when it comes up for hearings or votes, and who voted for or against it.

And if there's a benefit to COVID-19, it forced most elected bodies that weren't already livestreaming their meetings to start. You can watch the discussions and see for yourself who said what, and what factors were considered as decisions were made.

If that seems boring to you, maybe give that another thought. Yes, those discussions can be dull. But sometimes, as we saw this year on C-SPAN, they can be riveting.

For example, C-SPAN also provides a glimpse into the governments of other countries — notably Britain's "Prime Minister's Questions," in which the sitting prime minister is subjected to a half-hour weekly grilling by members of Parliament.

Imagine, if you will, a president going for a weekly inquisition by the same House that brought us the Speaker spectacle. I can think of only a handful during my lifetime who would likely survive.

After watching a former prime minister being sacrificed to Parliament a time or two, my brother remarked that "I feel sorry for him sometimes."

During an appearance on the Letterman show, that same former PM later referred to Prime Minister's Questions as so much "political theater." (Or maybe I should say "theatre.") That Britain had three different prime ministers in the space of two months last year, and one of them was Boris Johnson, lends credence to his observation.

The point is, government and politics aren't as dull as some might think. And if you take a peek, you might learn a thing or two about the government of the people, by the people and for the people that changes your own outlook and helps you make better decisions.

Tamela Baker is a Herald-Mail feature writer.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: House speaker fight could lead to learning how government works