We lived for 25 years in towns with Town Meetings. I loved them at first for all the romantic reasons. But after a while it becomes clear that there is a huge cost (in time) to voting. This cost is heaviest on those with kids who need sitters and those with long work hours. On the other side, extremists on any given issue are more than happy to pay the price. I've come to think that, ironically, Town Meetings are the least democratic form of government.
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