Here’s an example that demonstrates that citizens can effectively grapple with the difficult issue of budgeting.  The only piece missing, as far as true ‘government by the people’ is concerned, is that the groups convened to make these decisions should be randomly selected.  Otherwise, it is only those who have the time and personal interest who ‘solve’ the community’s issues.==========

Let citizens solve budget battles – “Governments can’t solve budget battles? Let citizens do it!” argue Josh Lerner and Daniel Altschuler in the pages of Christian Science Monitor article. The piece lays out the bipartisan appeal and latest applications of participatory budgeting in the U.S. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0405/Government-can-t-solve-budget-battles-Let-citizens-do-it