TY - JOUR
T1 - The spread of participatory budgeting
T2 - Procedural diversity, municipal context, and electoral drivers in the Belgian context
AU - Jacquet, Vincent
AU - Minsart, Elisa
AU - Dodeigne, Jérémy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Public participation is a popular mantra in contemporary governance. Participatory mechanisms have been analysed extensively. The systematic study of how, where and why public authorities implement them is, however, under researched. The paper aims to fill this gap by focusing on participatory budgeting (PB) processes in the Belgian context (Wallonia and Brussels). First, we critically assess the ‘participatory’ feature of PB by comparing who decides in such processes. Second, we identify the contextual and political factors that trigger the establishment of PB. Findings suggest that PB has become a widely diffused institutional practice for authorities with different ideological orientations and across different municipal contexts. However, the way the participatory ideal is put into practice reveals distinct dynamics. In some cases, the use of the participatory rhetoric is a way to requalify an old practice without significantly transforming how the budget is allocated. Overall, this study seeks to offer a better understanding of the integration of democratic innovations in contemporary governance. Points for practitioners: The paper unveils the diversity of practice behind the label ‘participatory budgeting’. It provides a new typology of PB processes by focusing on the decision phase. It offers a systematic study of PB establishment in the Belgian context by analysing the role of municipal context, ideology and the electoral drivers.
AB - Public participation is a popular mantra in contemporary governance. Participatory mechanisms have been analysed extensively. The systematic study of how, where and why public authorities implement them is, however, under researched. The paper aims to fill this gap by focusing on participatory budgeting (PB) processes in the Belgian context (Wallonia and Brussels). First, we critically assess the ‘participatory’ feature of PB by comparing who decides in such processes. Second, we identify the contextual and political factors that trigger the establishment of PB. Findings suggest that PB has become a widely diffused institutional practice for authorities with different ideological orientations and across different municipal contexts. However, the way the participatory ideal is put into practice reveals distinct dynamics. In some cases, the use of the participatory rhetoric is a way to requalify an old practice without significantly transforming how the budget is allocated. Overall, this study seeks to offer a better understanding of the integration of democratic innovations in contemporary governance. Points for practitioners: The paper unveils the diversity of practice behind the label ‘participatory budgeting’. It provides a new typology of PB processes by focusing on the decision phase. It offers a systematic study of PB establishment in the Belgian context by analysing the role of municipal context, ideology and the electoral drivers.
KW - policymaking
KW - Citizen participation
KW - participatory budgeting
KW - regional and local government
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189625429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00208523241238083
DO - 10.1177/00208523241238083
M3 - Article
SN - 0020-8523
VL - 90
SP - 773
EP - 792
JO - International Review of Administrative Sciences
JF - International Review of Administrative Sciences
IS - 4
ER -