I can't help but wonder: Societies in the past would not put such a decision on the hands of non-experts, perhaps because there were too many uninformed citizen

I can't help but wonder: Societies in the past would not put such a decision on the hands of non-experts, perhaps because there were too many uninformed citizens. Have we advanced to the point where the general public (or even the slightly more educated part that is likely to crowdfund stuff) is qualified to make decisions by committee that are right/good?