ABSTRACT
American democracy depends upon free-owing interaction between the governed and their leaders. e linkage is fostered through several conduits. With respect to the governed, people petition leaders through meetings, protests, letters to editors, and blogs, sometimes individually and on other occasions through the eorts of organized groups. For their part, leaders avail themselves to venues such as town hall meetings, formal addresses before interest groups, meetings with editorial boards, occasional one-on-one meetings with constituents, and other outreach mechanisms. e point is that without these connections, political walls separate these political forces, jeopardizing the well-being of both. Nevertheless, that chasm has become a regrettable mainstay in American politics.
