Town meetings or public forums arranged to discuss issues of interest to citizens are as old as the settling of the United States, and they continue today as part of the democratic system. The Public Agenda Foundation maintains this tradition through a special series of community forums, known as the National Issues Forums (NIF), that annually address three common issues of widespread public concern. Drawing from the writings of past and present democratic advocates and critics, this NIF book examines democracy and its principles to aid forum participants in becoming more effective citizens. Chapter 1 presents the history of town meetings and, chapter 2 examines the theories of democracy. Chapter 3 reflects on individual and public participation as it defines public, public interest, and private identity. The political dialogue that occurs in forums is called public talk, and the use of public talk to make choices is the focus of chapter 4. Chapter 5 considers the role of public talk in the community, while chapter 6 discusses the participatory role of the NIF in national and local policymaking. A 10-page bibliography is included. (DJC)