In Porter’s mind, the American public is hungry for proof that their government is working for them. As a result, she throws herself into hearings; she understands that the five minutes she has with a witness are the most direct form of democratic action available to her—her best chance to tease out answers to the questions that matter most to her constituents.

It’s also why her videos keep going viral; her ability to demystify technical, often esoteric financial concepts is a boon to those who understand that nitty-gritty details, all the minutiae of government work, are important, but aren’t sure how to connect the dots. It’s not all that different from what she used to do as a professor, and as a textbook author; now, she just has a much larger audience.