WRONG !!!! THEY PAY !!!
IT is called the shareholder model!!!! And contrary to weightening with share size, it is one vote per live.
The advantage is that at least 50% of the voters are happy with the decisions. Then if you cumulate those votations it means that more and more are happy even if they lose some.
Do you want a swimming pool in the town? Yes it is super important to have experts, where, how much, which... but it doesn't answer the question. yes or no. they can inform but not decide.
Then you will admit that it easier to have one man to corrupt (the prefet, like the mayor but for a region) than the entire local population. Furthermore discussion brings social cohesion. experts give expert advice on the situation but you will see there is quickly contradiction... just ask yourself where to put a swimming pool... between soil expert, transport expert, land expert, water expert, economic expert etc etc... you will see that at one point a decision must be taken.
then the people want this swimming pool or not. maybe another one? the project was too small, costly, big? who knows but those who will pay for it...
btw finally they decided for an artificial lake with a dam :).
I don't understand why representative and experts can't be played even more easily that the local population? you know targeted advertising + bribes... hard to bribe the french people from an outisde power...
RE: Why european countries don't have referendums or initiatives like us states do?