letting the sun in 1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 the most basic way for citizens to hold leaders responsible is by voting in elections and by serving on juries in open courtroom proceedings. but these are not the only ways. in the united states and in other democracies, citizens can influence government on a daily basis, not just on election day. numerous other opportunities can, and should, exist to ensure that both elected and non-elected public officials remain accountable to the people. in the united states, when executive branch officials get together to conduct government business, they are often required to announce their meetings in advance and to hold them in forums that are open to the public. the law underlying this practice, a federal statute dubbed the