The role of participatory democracy mechanisms in empowering citizens: a case study of Brazil

Document Type : Original Article

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Political Science Lecturer - Faculty of Economic Studies and Political Science, Alexandria University

Abstract

This study aimed to analyzing the role of participatory democracy mechanisms in empowering citizens and the determinants of this role by applying the role of participatory budgeting as one of the mechanisms of this democracy in achieving citizen empowerment in Brazil. The study was based upon the comparative method in order to compare the cases of Porto Alegre and Rio Claro in Brazil. the most similar system design was applied. The study concluded in the theoretical framework that participatory budgeting plays an important role in empowering citizens through several mechanisms, which are enhancing participation of citizens and consolidating citizens’ control over authority and achieving social justice. The study indicated that the success of participatory budgeting in achieving citizen empowerment is dependent on several determinants which are Political will, the role of civil society, and the rules governing participatory budgeting. The study concluded that the political will, the strong civil society and the rules governing participatory budgeting contributed to the success of participatory budgeting in achieving the empowerment of citizens in Porto Alegre, while the absence of political will and the weakness of civil society and the rules of participatory budgeting applied in Rio Claro led to the failure of participatory budgeting in empowering citizens

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