The Perilous Paths of Deeper Democracy: Understanding the Rise and Decline of Participatory Budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Abstract

Participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil is widely regarded internationally as one of the most significant innovations in participatory governance. Launched in the late 1980s, it has been credited with deepening political and social inclusion, enabling ordinary citizens to shape municipal budget policy and redistribute state resources. But since the mid-2000s, this initiative has experienced significant weakening under a series of conservative local governments, putting into serious question its sustainability amid inhospitable political conditions. This article advances an analytical framework to understand both the rise and subsequent weakening of participatory budgeting. By drawing together elements in the state, civil society and broader politico-institutional and economic environment, and showing how these changed over time, the paper provides an analytical account of the shifting fortunes of participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre.

Keywords: Participatory budgeting, participatory governance, Brazil, democratization