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Many Americans have been asking what is happening to our long-taken-for-granted democracy. I think a clue can be found in a look at what has been happening to our town halls.

A town hall is defined as “a public meeting at which a politician or official speaks about his or her policies and answers questions from members of the public.” Not so long ago, citizens gathered in libraries, school gyms, and community centers for these town halls, not just to be lectured or entertained, but to have their voices heard. 

Town halls have functioned as two-way streets, giving candidates an opportunity to test and sharpen their platforms and messaging, and giving voters an opportunity to size up candidates. 

Although campaigns have become progressively more poll-driven and -dependent, and while candidates rely ever more heavily on social media, there is something more “real” and meaty about a town hall — and a tension that is often palpable. 

Like sports events, but ones with real-world consequences, town halls have intrigued me from the earliest days of my political awareness. In all, I’ve participated in hundreds of town halls.

I’ve watched as rich, upscale DC politicians had to answer tough, messy, and often unpredictable questions from the audience — providing us, the people they would represent, with a more candid view of what they are like, beyond the smoke and mirrors of their otherwise scripted campaigns.

I’ve asked lots of questions. I guess some would say I’ve made a nuisance of myself (looking at you, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley), but it felt to me like something to celebrate and perpetuate; a box where the gears meshed in our political engine.

The town halls I knew were scrappy and often hard for candidates to maneuver, but, most importantly, deeply democratic — a reflection of what true civic engagement should look like in any vibrant democratic society.

Now, I am sad to say, the American town hall, that cornerstone of democracy, is in a dire state, and even sadder to see in that predicament a reflection of the more general decline of democratic processes in our nation.

THINO (Town Halls in Name Only)

The town halls I knew were scrappy and often hard for candidates to maneuver, but, most importantly, deeply democratic — a reflection of what true civic engagement should look like in any vibrant democratic society.

Today, events billed as “town halls” are anything but. During the 2024 election cycle, I would laugh when a campaign email would pop up from Haley’s campaign advertising her next “town halls” in my state, New Hampshire, where she would supposedly do it “our way,” providing an open and free forum for voters to ask their unscripted questions.

Laugh because her events were just the opposite — with questions pre-screened, access limited, and dissent frowned upon. However, this wasn’t solely or even primarily a Haley problem; it has characterized almost every latter-day town hall hosted by presidential candidates from both parties.

In my respectful attempts to ask basic questions about politics, I have been shoved, physically intimidated, and escorted out of events by police, which begs the question: If these candidates couldn’t take questions from a then-15-year-old, how were they ready to be president? 

Take note, however, that the scripted, stage-managed shtick has characterized “almost” every town hall. There are a few exceptions; last cycle, this was seen with Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie, who were the only candidates willing to take each and every question, allowing for an open forum. 

But for most events, the spontaneity — a free exchange of questions and criticism between voters and those in power — is gone, and has been replaced by choreographed performances, which are closer to something like a TV ad than a legitimate American town hall. Some politicians even skip the town hall pretense entirely and move toward tightly controlled media appearances or online “tele-town halls,” where they can mute the mic at the first sign of discomfort.

Some Don’t Like It Hot

As President Donald Trump’s deportations continue, and his administration continues to take a slew of disruptive actions unprecedented in the modern political world, dissent has been growing. This dissent has led to a drive for members of both parties across the country to hold more town hall meetings in their districts.

Republican lawmakers who have answered their constituents’ call for a town hall deserve some credit for showing up, as they have generally been met with intense hostility from people who feel that their country is in peril. The media coverage of these chaotic encounters, showing seething people demanding answers to their furious questions, has led many Republicans not to show up, fearing these outbursts of anger and the kind of optics all politicians will do just about anything to avoid.

The decline of our town halls means our democracy is growing weaker. This isn’t simply a scheduling issue — it’s a warning sign. When politicians stop listening to us, to whom do they answer? Who holds them accountable? The right to question those in power isn’t just a privilege, it’s a fundamental responsibility — one we must fight for.

Democratic lawmakers, such as Rep. Ro Khanna (CA), Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL), Sen. Chis Murphy (CT), and others have seized the moment where Republicans are not showing up, scheduling town halls of their own in these red bastions and attempting to engage and win over MAGA and independent voters. Whether this is successful remains to be seen, but it’s a clear sign that Democrats are recognizing they need to go outside their comfort zone to win support.

So Let’s Revive a Staple of Democracy

The decline of our town halls highlights our weakening democracy. This isn’t simply a scheduling issue — it’s a warning sign. When politicians stop listening to us, to whom do they answer? Who holds them accountable? The right to question those in power isn’t just a privilege, it’s a fundamental responsibility — one we must fight for.

Constituents must demand town halls from their elected officials. The media must spotlight those who answer to their constituents and those who do not. Politicians — especially those who emphasize that they represent “the people” — must embrace, not fear, the unscripted questions. And if they find policies or behaviors publicly indefensible, shouldn’t that impel them to reconsider their lockstep support for such?

Town halls should not have shielding, special interests, or scripts. To save the town hall, we must remember what it once was and what our democracy can look like with its revival. Today, our democracy looks like it requires serious repair. That work begins when those who govern and those who are governed both choose to show up, ready for civil dialogue. 

Quinn Mitchell is a 17-year-old high school student with a strong belief in participatory democracy. He is also the host of the podcast Into The Tussle, which offers a Gen Z perspective on politics.