I would agree that people need to take an interest
But interest does not equal competence. There is a big difference between giving someone a voice and forcing them to take responsibility for something when they only have a passing knowledge or experience. The point of a government/administration is to provide those services that are needed by the community, but that require experience or resources that individual members of the community don't have. Abdicating from that obligation, particularly when you're only doing so to a) save the government money and b) woo the electorate by making them feel powerful, is irresponsible in the extreme. Or so I reckon, anyway.

Besides, those who are competent and committed already have the chance to get involved with their community, as school governers or local councillors for example. It's already nigh-on impossible to get people to care about local council elections. That problem's not going to be solved by letting a bunch of busybodies run your local school.
(Concrete Cow, Wed 21 Apr 2010, 14:08, Reply)