Julian E. Zelizer is right, but I would like to add one other point to his argument.

Our press, for a while, did a fairly decent job at helping to inform and educate the populace as to the goings-ons in Washington. We were given facts and detail, and we were able to form fairly solid opinions as to what worked and what didn’t.

But gone are those days. We can no longer rely on our greed-driven fourth estate to be fair and balanced. But our government has a duty to keep us informed with day-by-day operations and decisions, both in government and elsewhere, on matters that affect us all. It is, after all, a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Commentary: Investigate Wall Street

[...] According to an Associated Press-GfK poll, about half of those surveyed said they were seriously worried about losing their jobs and two-thirds expressed serious concern that they would not be able to pay their bills.

Americans are not sure what has gone wrong. Under those conditions, it will be difficult to restore confidence in the future. The conventional wisdom says that presidents should be the leaders to use the bully pulpit and explain to Americans the nature of any crisis that we face.

But history shows that Congress has played an extremely important role in shaping public debate in times of crisis and bringing to light crucial information. Although congressional hearings are often derided for grandstanding, the power of investigation is one of the most important functions Congress has played.

For every example of congressional excess, such as Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anticommunist witch hunts, there have been moments when Congress demonstrated its ability to explain and to educate. [...]

Congress needs to learn more, not only about the kind of criminal activity for which Bernard Madoff is being charged, but also the legal practices — such as risky home loans — that created dangerous bubbles and put families at risk.

If voters and politicians are going to be able to evaluate legislation that is being proposed on a weekly basis, citizens must understand what has gone wrong.

This will be the first step toward restoring the confidence that the country needs if it is to start a better day.