 a town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the united states &ndash; principally in new england &ndash; since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government. the term has more recently been expanded to cover public meetings that draw people in a geographic area to discuss issues but not vote on any legislative or administrative action. notably, the term is commonly used by politicians in the united states to describe forums at which voters can ask questions. == in the united states == town meeting is a form of local government practiced in the u.s. region of new england since colonial times, and in some western states since at least the late 19th century. typically conducted by new england towns, town meeting can also refer to meetings of other governmental bodies, such as school districts or water districts. while the uses and laws vary from state to state, the general form is for residents of the town or school district to gather once a year and act as a legislative body, voting on operating budgets, laws, and other matters for the community's operation over the following 12 months. in 1854 henry david thoreau said, in a speech entitled "slavery in massachusetts":  the puritans, who believed in congregationalist church governance, established town meetings when they established the various new england colonies. its usage in the english language can also cause confusion, since it is both an event, as in "freetown had its town meeting last tuesday", and an entity, as in "last tuesday, town meeting decided to repave howland road." in recent years, "town meeting" has also been used by political groups and political candidates as a label for moderated discussion group in which a large audience is invited. to avoid confusion, this sort of event is often called a "town hall meeting." === connecticut === connecticut town meetings are bound to a published agenda. for example, in connecticut, a town meeting may discuss, but not alter, an article placed before
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