Be informed

I am curious to know just what other Americans know about what's going on in the country let alone the world. In America certain people get together on an opinion and pass out petitions to have other Americans sign and then these petitions are taken to legislature and voted on and take up time and money. Now, the thing is, is that these petitions become laws and some of the other Americans would like to know "Who came up with this?" Either in a possitive or a negative way. I would like to read more on things people come up with so that I and others like me, can have a choice too. For example, when anti-abortionist took up an entire block in my town to protest abortion I wanted to know how I could of set up on the block accross the street with Pro-choicers. Or when MADD pushes for drinking laws to be stiffer how a can petiton to maintain the laws.