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Participatory Budgeting in Midwestern States: Democratic Connection or Citizen Disconnection?
Author(s) -
FRANKLIN AIMEE L.,
HO ALFRED T.,
EBDON CAROL
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
public budgeting and finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1540-5850
pISSN - 0275-1100
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-5850.2009.00936.x
Subject(s) - disconnection , citizen journalism , value (mathematics) , democracy , mechanism (biology) , state (computer science) , perception , public relations , public administration , political science , business , politics , psychology , law , philosophy , epistemology , algorithm , machine learning , neuroscience , computer science
What participation mechanisms connect citizens and city officials? Do they produce valued outcomes? Surveys of elected officials suggest that microlevel mechanisms such as direct citizen contact are more valuable in meeting participation goals than are mechanisms focusing on macrolevel concerns. However, there is a disconnect between perceptions about value and the use of mechanisms. State‐level participation requirements and a city manager have little effect on the value of a mechanism. These findings raise some questions: why are microlevel participation mechanisms favored, why do some mechanisms have value even though respondents have little experience with them, and why is there a misalignment between participatory goals and the mechanisms used?