"Not all citizens seek to extract a "free lunch" from government by demanding more services at the same time that they eschew taxes. It is possible to gather the insights of a representative and informed citizenry in a sophisticated and reliable form. Citizen Participation in Resource Allocation explores the means to obtaining informed insight from citizens in ways that can aid decisionmakers who seek to understand the preferences of the public as a whole - not just from its most vocal critics.".

"Simonsen and Robbins present a description and analysis of several specific participation efforts from throughout the United States. They also examine more generally the idea of participation mechanisms, the objectives they seek to achieve, and the roots of their contributions to governance."--BOOK JACKET.