Article
Do Local Voices Shape Local Services? Assessing Participatory Budgeting in Municipal Governance
Background: Local self-governments face persistent challenges in delivering essential services while maintaining accountability and transparency. Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as a democratic innovation that allows citizens to directly influence municipal spending decisions. While PB has been widely studied in Latin America and large cities globally, little is known about its effects in mid-sized Indian municipalities, which face unique fiscal and administrative constraints.
Purpose: This paper addresses the research gap by examining whether participatory budgeting can improve municipal service delivery and accountability in mid-sized Indian cities. It outlines a conceptual framework and research design to assess the mechanisms through which PB operates and the conditions under which it produces positive outcomes.
Design/Methodology/Approach: A mixed-methods approach is proposed, combining quasi-experimental impact evaluation with process tracing and household surveys. The design compares municipalities with PB initiatives to matched non-adopters, focusing on changes in budget allocation, project execution, complaint resolution, and citizen satisfaction. Qualitative data from interviews and document analysis will complement quantitative findings to explain mechanisms.
Findings: While this paper presents a research framework rather than empirical results, expected scenarios suggest that PB can enhance priority alignment, accelerate project execution, and increase citizen satisfaction when supported by administrative capacity and transparency. Risks of elite capture and implementation bottlenecks remain important challenges.
Originality/Value: By focusing on mid-sized Indian municipalities, the paper contributes to an underexplored area of local governance research. It provides a rigorous methodological framework for evaluating PB and offers practical guidance for policymakers seeking to strengthen accountability and service delivery through participatory processes.