Inventing Local Democracy
Author | : Rebecca Abers |
Publisher | : Lynne Rienner Publishers |
Total Pages | : 288 |
Release | : 2000 |
ISBN-10 | : 1555878938 |
ISBN-13 | : 9781555878931 |
Rating | : 4/5 (38 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Abers (political science, Center for Public Policy Research, U. of BrasÃlia, Brazil) provides a close study of innovative city government in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Led by the Workers' Party, the city implemented a participatory budget program in which residents meet in their neighborhoods to determine budget priorities. Taking place in a city long dominated by patronage politics and elite rule, the story is both a sociopolitical study of the impact that state- sponsored participatory forums can have on civil society and a contribution to the theory and practical possibilities of participatory democracy.--