1. Can you think of any advantages of schemes or tools like those mentioned above?
2. Can you think of any disadvantages? In a BBC documentary called  Power to the People, Michael Portillo visited a ‘You Decide’ session organized by the local council in Tower Hamlets, London. At this session, local people decide what is to be done with £250 000 of council money.

They are given fully costed options under headings like healthcare, the elderly and local policing.
The options in each category can be debated for a time, then all present ‘vote’ for their preferred option using an electronic voting system. This continues until all funds are used up. This, it could be argued, saves the council a bit of time and allocates resources to where residents deem most appropriate. Of course £250 000 is a long way off a council’s full budget, but at least there is participation in how the money is spent. There is also now a ‘You Choose’ budget simulator website that encourages the public to consider where council budget cuts might fall, where efficiencies might be made, and where income might be generated. The You Choose software is available to all councils in England and Wales and can be tailored by each council to suit their needs. The results of any input from council area residents are instantly available to the council.