A New Kind of Town Meeting

A NEW KIND OF
TOWN MEETING

Town meetings are often raucous affairs: many people want to express their opinions and there is rarely enough time for those with differing views to negotiate a resolution they can all live with.

But a town meeting can develop proposals that win wide public support if everyone at the meeting can choose a spokesperson they trust and who shares their views.

These representatives can then meet to negotiate. Throughout the process, they can stay in contact with the people they represent to get their input and build support for any emerging solutions.

If the representatives can reach an agreement that satisfies them, each one will be in an ideal position to explain to the people he or she represents -- in their own terms -- exactly how the agreement meets their concerns better than their other options.

The town meeting can then reassemble to discuss the representatives' proposal and vote on whether or not to adopt it. If it's approved, it can be disseminated throughout the community. Since it incorporates all points of view, it is likely to win broad public support.

For more information, read Planning an Interactive Town Meeting or email us at dem2000@igc.org