Participation, democratizing practices and the formation of a modern polarity: the case of 'participatory budgeting' in Porto Algre, Brazil (1989-1998)

Recent years have seen major changes affecting the economic, political and institutional patterns of development in the majority of Latin American countries. These have let to major transitions in areas of decentralisation and democratisation, and in the roles played at state and at local and provincial levels where there has been a transference of institutional arrangements from the former to the latter. Participatory budgeting (PB or PB-POA) was established in the city of Porto Alegre in Brazil after municipal elections in1988. This government innovation enables a mechanism of social participation in public policy-making by the local community. The article explains the origins, context and operation of PB-POA and concludes with the suggestion of a possible new democratic political format.