This essay examines the legal framework for local deliberative democracy in Massachusetts, within the legislature known as “town meeting.” We review the centuries-long history and trajectory of this evolving system of local government allowing direct exercise of citizen power. In our examination of the current framework and its genesis, we explore: the powers of town meeting, including its role within state and federal government, the laws and norms enabling and limiting deliberation, and how and why the legal framework for town meeting has allowed it to endure. Throughout our analysis, we include examples, detailing how philosophical principles of inclusion, self-determination, fairness, and fidelity to the common good underpin town meeting.
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