Give a stream of consciousness and then the final answer. A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States -- principally in New England -- since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government. This is a town-or city-level meeting where decisions are made, in contrast with town hall meetings held by state and national politicians to answer questions from their constituents, which have no decision-making power.

Based on this passage, town meetings practiced in many small new england towns are examples of what?
To answer the question, consider the following: A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States -- principally in New England -- since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government.
So, the final answer is a form of direct democratic rule.