Participatory Budgeting in Germany: Citizens as Consultants (an overview) | Netzwerk Bürgerhaushalt | bpb.de

Esperanca Democrática - This is the book title of a recently published book on participatory budgeting world wide. The book was edited by Nelson Dias, it is currently being translated from Portugese into English. Exclusively for buergerhaushalt.org, you can already take a glance on one of the translated articles:

In their article on PB in Germany, Mandy Wagner and Michelle Ruesch examine the characteristics of a "typical German PB".

Abstract:

This chapter examines the current landscape of participatory budgets in Germany, which currently includes just under 100 local authorities that are actively involved in participatory budgeting (PB). Based on the history of PB in Germany, it shows how German participatory budgets typically pursue the objective of making local government more responsive, which is the reason why most participatory budgets in Germany are based on the consultative model. Under this model, citizens act as advisors to policymakers and administrators. Based on data collected in the autumn of 2012 for the sixth status report of the information portal Interner Link: www.buergerhaushalt.org, the chapter identifies ‘typical’ features that characterise German participatory budgets. According to this analysis, the majority of participatory budgets in Germany are consultative, allow proposals on the entire budget – including proposals both for investments and for cost-saving measures, and make intensive use of the Internet. There is great room for improvement with regard to accountability, for which a general report has so far been the norm.

You can download the full article here: Interner Link: PB in Germany

More information on the book in Portugese: Externer Link: INLOCO News