Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works - Paperbackby Frank M. Bryan (Author) Front Jacket Relying on an astounding collection of more than three decades of firsthand research, Frank M. Bryan examines one of the purest forms of American democracy, the New England town meeting. At these meetings, usually held once a year, all eligible citizens of the town may become legislators; they meet in face to face assemblies, debate the issues on the agenda, and vote on them. And although these meetings are