ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 expands upon our analysis of congressional websites to examine the emerging practice of tele town halls. This chapter explores tele town halls as distinct representational space. Like congressional websites, tele town halls provide offices with an online or virtual forum through which to conduct traditional representational activities. The diffusion of tele town hall technology across the Hill is an extension of the other online tools introduced by third-party vendors over the last two decades. Members are strategic in their use of this format for constituent engagement, more heavily using tele town halls for outreach when the partisan mood is favorable.
