Cases

The goal of the process is to involve citizens in decisions about how to use the municipal budget, teaching them how to use the government machinery, seeking the widest possible participation of residents in deciding the priorities of the municipality.

Sopot’s participatory budgeting initiative has been criticized by its citizens and has been revised repeatedly, but remains a historic beacon of democratic innovations in Poland. The wealthy seaside town of around 38,0000 citizens, devolved 1% of its budget to PB in 2011. The process is innovative for its combination of...