Possibilities for Democratic Equality? : Participatory budgeting as a question of municipal resources

Abstract

This chapter approaches citizen engagement through participatory budgeting (PB), with a focus on the organisational resources necessary for inclusive and equal PB. The chapter asks what is needed to resource PB in municipal organisations, and how do municipal resources enable or limit the possibility of providing an equal and democratic process of PB? Based on two case studies on Finnish cities, the chapter finds that (1) financial, (2) human, (3) knowledge and expertise and (4) technological and material resources are crucial. These resources can support the implementation of equal and inclusive PB processes to foster democracy and social sustainability. However, the chapter notes the risk of divergence between municipalities concerning their possibilities of providing equal participation channels to citizens. The findings indicate that in the Nordic welfare state context, increased duties and responsibilities in municipalities are accompanied by growing demands for the administrative processes of engaging citizens. Citizen participation becomes increasingly challenging not only in terms of capacities required from citizens but, as we argue, in terms of how municipalities allocate resources and facilitate these processes aiming for democracy, inclusion and equality, which are essential elements of social sustainability.