Participatory Democracy, Decentralization and Local Governance: The Montreal Participatory Budget in the Light of ‘Empowered Participatory Governance’

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Patsias
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
Participatory Budget

Exploring the Uncharted Territory of Devolution in Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jephias Mapuva ◽  
George P Miti
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
Enabling Environment ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Local Levels

Devolution, which was incorporated into the Constitution of Zimbabwe through section 264, is a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe. This incorporation came about because of the need for participatory governance and the devolution of power away from the centre. Over the years, local governance has been informed by a plethora of pieces of legislation that do not provide an enabling environment for citizen participation, giving Zimbabwe’s local government a chequered history that excludes citizens from participating in public affairs that affect their lives. An analysis of section 264 of the Constitution revealed that devolution has the propensity to enhance transparency, efficiency and effectiveness as well as the fulfilment of central government’s responsibilities at provincial and local levels. This article argues that the belated implementation of the devolution of power has delayed improved service delivery, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability within local governance. This article further seeks to explain how the implementation of section 264 of the Constitution can bring about good local governance.

Nouvelles instances participatives et contre-pouvoirs : Fung et Wright «revisités» à partir des expériences marseillaises et québécoises

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Patsias ◽  
Sylvie Patsias
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Quebec City ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
General Overview ◽  
Mouvements Sociaux

Résumé. Selon Fung et Wright, la mise en place d'une gouvernance participative impliquerait l'apparition de contre-pouvoirs spécifiques, différents de ceux qui caractérisent les espaces politiques «agonistiques» dans lesquels opèrent les mouvements sociaux. Nous discutons ces conclusions à partir d'une comparaison des rôles joués par des comités de citoyens à Marseille et à Québec dans l'émergence et l'activité d'instances participatives nouvelles. À l'inverse des deux auteurs, nous soulignons que, dans certains cas au moins, la mise en place d'une gouvernance plus participative ne saurait se passer de l'existence de mouvements sociaux, et que certaines des «qualités» que Fung et Wright prêtent aux contre-pouvoirs spécifiques des nouvelles instances participatives peuvent favoriser, au contraire, des logiques de cooptation, néfastes aux pratiques de la démocratie participative. Nous terminons cette discussion par une réflexion plus générale sur les façons de penser le conflit en science politique et sur leur pertinence épistémologique et heuristique.Abstract. According to Fung and Wright, the establishment of participatory governance involves specific stakeholders, different from those characterizing the “antagonistic” political spaces in which social movements operate. We discuss these conclusions via a comparison of roles played by citizens' committees in Marseille and Quebec City in the emergence of new participatory instances. Contrary to the two authors, we stress that, at least in certain cases, the establishment of more participatory governance could not occur without the existence of social movements. More precisely, some features that Fung and Wright attribute to participatory stakeholders could, on the contrary, favour co-optation, harmful to the practices of participatory democracy. We complete this discussion with a more general overview of ways of perceiving the conflict in political science and their epistemological and heuristic relevance.

Towards Building Direct Democratic Governance Through the Ward Committee System in South African Local Government

2022 ◽  
pp. 222-241
Author(s):  
Ndwakhulu Stephen Tshishonga
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Participatory Governance ◽  
Community Governance ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

This chapter interrogates the ward committee system as an instrument in an institutionalised local government level to advance direct participatory governance. The ward committee has a constitutional mandate upon which accountability, democratization, community governance, and inclusive participation in the municipal decision-making is enhanced. The ward committee system was legislated to create a platform for community participation and enhance accountable local governance. Structuration theory has been used to engage with elements of representativity, powers, skills, functionality, access to information, influence in decision-making, and relationship with others structures as developed by Smith and de Visser. The chapter made use of various case studies to interrogate the role, potential, and challenges of the ward committee system in forging direct participatory governance.

scholarly journals Yes to Local Government, No to Participatory Democracy: The Local Governance Reform Dilemma in Trinidad, St. Lucia and St. Vincent

2009 ◽  
pp. 31-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bishnu Ragoonath
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Citizen Involvement ◽  
Government Reform ◽  
Governance Reform ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
The People ◽  
Commonwealth Caribbean

In the Commonwealth Caribbean countries of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, local government reform has been and continues to remain on the agenda. The proposals are all based on the philosophy that there should be elected local government, which in turn should facilitate substantive levels of participatory democracy and citizen involvement. But whilst there is general acceptance of this philosophy, central governments are seemingly reluctant to implement any reforms which would return power to the people. Citizen involvement and participatory democracy has thus become the bug-bear in the process, and has led to the stalling of local government reform in all three countries. With reforms having stalled, one wonders whether the next step will be the dissolution of systems of local government in these states.

Inventing Local Democracy: Grassroots Politics in Brazil. By Rebecca Neaera Abers. Boulder, CO, and London: Lynne Rienner, 2000. 269p. $59.95.

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 490-491
Author(s):  
David Covin
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Budget Process ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Grassroots Politics ◽  
Participatory Budget ◽  
The Government

In this case study of participatory democracy in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Rebecca Neaera Abers examines one aspect of the participatory democracy program implemented by the Par- tido dos Trabalhadores (PT), the Workers' Party, in Porto Alegre: the participatory budget process. In that process, people at the grassroots make policy decisions that the government is committed to implement. The PT took office in 1989, and Abers follows its participatory budget process from 1989 to 1997.

scholarly journals 1090The Brazilian farm-to-school regulatory policy: local governance correlates

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Clara Duran
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
State Level ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Farm To School ◽  
Family Farming ◽  
School Feeding ◽  
Feeding Program ◽  
School Feeding Program

Abstract Background We explored whether local governance tools related to participatory democracy were associated with a better implementation of a farm-to-school regulation, which states that 30% of procured foods for the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (BNSFP) must come from family farming. Methods Longitudinal study with data on federal transfers to all Brazilian municipalities (n = 5.570) for the BNSFP from 2011 to 2017. The outcome was the percentage of those transfers used to procure foods from family farming. Participatory democracy measures included the presence of sectoral school feeding program councils and adherence to the National Food and Nutrition Security System (NFNS). Models were adjusted for total federal transfers to support family farming; the importance of federal transfers to the local economy; changes in land coverage devoted to family farming; municipal gross domestic product, and population size. We employed year and municipality fixed-effect linear models with clustered standard errors at the state level. Results Procurement from family farming rose from 16.5% [95%CI 16.0,17.0] in 2011 to 32.2% [95%CI 31.0, 33.5] in 2017. The presence of local sectoral school feeding program councils and local adherence to the NFNS were associated with a greater increase in the percentage of foods procured from family farming. Conclusions Local participatory democracy was associated with a better implementation of the farm-to-school regulation in Brazil. Key message Local participatory democracy measures influenced the implementation of the Brazilian national farm-to-school regulation. Our findings can help inform similar policies in other countries.

New Approaches to Local Democracy: Direct Democracy, Participation and the ‘Third Sector’

10.1068/c9950 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ján Buček ◽  
Brian Smith
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Third Sector ◽  
Established Democracies

Two themes of particular significance in the changing world of local government are examined: the growing pressures to incorporate participatory and direct forms of democracy into local government; and the varied use of a complex structure of nongovernmental organisations as part of local governance. Two main forms of democracy with participation are discussed: direct democracy and participatory democracy. Differences between them are explained and the demands for them in transitional and established democracies are described. The different ways in which ‘third sector’ bodies are involved in local governance are explored and their contribution to local democratisation assessed. Innovations in participation and the involvement of the third sector can revitalise local democracy.

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