Taking part
town hall meeting
An open meeting where an elected official takes questions from constituents. Not a formal proceeding, and the official controls the format.
In full
Members of Congress, state legislators, and local officials hold town halls in person and by telephone or video. Unlike a public hearing, nothing is legally required and no record is made unless someone makes one. Telephone town halls reach far more people but filter questions, which is a recurring point of contention.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.