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Involving citizens in public decision making: the case of participatory budgeting in Lithuania

Author

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  • Liucija Birskyte

    (Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania)

Abstract

In times of increasing public distrust in government and its institutions, engaging the public in decision making may strengthen democracy as well as result in a more effective allocation of scarce public resources. Participatory budgeting has started in Brazil and spread around the world but is a new concept in some countries. The objective of this paper is to reveal the current situation of attempts to involve the public in making decisions on budget allocations in Lithuanian municipalities, disclose barriers to a more active participation, and propose possible strategies for greater public empowerment. For that purpose a survey was designed that was filled out by members of municipal councils. The results indicate that members of municipal councils are aware of the advantages of participatory budgeting. However, there are numerous barriers for meaningful citizen participation, including lack of financial resources, occasional incompetence of municipal administration, citizens’ indifference, and bureaucratic inertia.

Suggested Citation

  • Liucija Birskyte, 2013. "Involving citizens in public decision making: the case of participatory budgeting in Lithuania," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 37(4), pages 383-402.
  • Handle: RePEc:ipf:finteo:v:37:y:2013:i:4:p:383-402
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sandra Svaljek & Ivana Rasic Bakaric & Marijana Sumpor, 2019. "Citizens and the city: the case for participatory budgeting in the City of Zagreb," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 43(1), pages 21-48.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    participatory budgeting; participatory democracy; citizen empowerment; public; Lithuania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H61 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Budget; Budget Systems
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures

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