Attending a formal meeting of City Council is a good chance for me to experience the real democracy of the U.S. The citizen are entitled to raise their concern and to challenge the council members without any restriction. At the meeting, there was a lady questioning the transparency of the appointment procedure of a Guest Councilor. Then, one Council member gave his opinion, the Guest Councilor responded to the question, and some other people also asked questions/ expressed their opinion on this issue. It was really interactive and democratic.

It is the way the citizen monitor the performance of their local authorities and exercise their rights. Transparency and Accountability are core values of a good governance.