Democracy doesn't work when citizens are uninformed and their representatives carry out public business behind closed doors.

Secrecy breeds mistrust and fuels rumors. Secrecy hampers credibility and - in the extreme - the very legitimacy of a democratic government.

From the early days of this nation, even before it declared independence from England, the news media has played a key role in keeping the public informed.

Back then, the media included newspapers, town criers and pamphleteers.

Today, the media includes newspapers, broadcasters and the Internet.

The Pantagraph takes pride in its role as a government watchdog and provider of information to help citizens evaluate the jobs being done by their elected officials. The Pantagraph Editorial Board wants to do more.

As we celebrate the nation's Declaration of Independence this weekend, The Pantagraph is launching "Open Government 101," a dedicated effort to build on what President Abraham Lincoln described as "government of the people, by the people and for the people."

The goals include:

-- Improving access to government meetings and information.

-- Increasing public involvement.

-- Encouraging greater opportunities for public input.

-- Enhancing accountability.

-- Informing people about the information to which they are entitled.

-- Urging government to make information more readily available.

-- Increasing the understanding of both the general public and public officials.

We can't do this alone. It will take a commitment from both the public and their elected and appointed representatives.

For a democracy to function properly and effectively, citizens need to be well informed - about the issues, about its representatives' actions and about the reasoning behind those actions.

And they must get involved, not sit on the sidelines.

That means contacting their representatives, attending meetings from time to time and showing up at the polls on Election Day.

Less than 20 percent of registered voters voted in the Bloomington election in April; in Normal, the turnout was less than 16 percent. We can do better.

If you speak loud enough and often enough, you can and will be heard.

We are fortunate to have many tools to help achieve this in Illinois, most notably the Illinois Open Meetings Act and Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

As part of this project, we will make available easy guides to, for example, make a formal Freedom of Information Act request.

Today's edition includes a listing of contact information for state and federal lawmakers from this area as well as statewide executive branch officials. Cut it out and save it for the next time you want to make your views known.

The Pantagraph's Web site, www.pantagraph.com, also has a database of contact information for local governments, schools and other public bodies.

We also will be taking a look at the Web sites of various governmental units and comparing the availability of information on those sites.

As stated in the Declaration of Independence, governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. The government belongs to the people.

The people need to assert "ownership" over their government. Public officials need to keep citizens informed.

Citizens need to let officials know they are watching.