The study picked citizens at random and held 21 online town hall meetings to determine whether the Internet brought people closer to their Representatives.

The results showed that, unanimously, people favored the Internet town halls as an addition to the traditional in-person meetings. The participants also appreciated the fact that the Internet meetings were unscripted and the Representative was required to answer the questions directly, instead of working through staff.

Some of the key findings stated that constituents who participated in the Internet town hall had an increased approval rating of their Congressman, as well as an increased probability to vote for that member of Congress.

In the digital age where people feel that the Internet is pulling us apart, these Internet town hall meetings show, like other online forums for politics, the Internet becomes a gathering place where constituents and politicians can work together to make the government more efficient.

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UC Riverside Newsroom: Public Favors Internet Town Hall Meetings