Books
Why Citizen Participation Succeeds or Fails: A Comparative Analysis of Participatory Budgeting
By Matt Ryan, University of Southampton
Bristol University Press ISBN: 978-1529209921
Release date: Jul 15, 2021
Matt Ryan’s landmark comparative review of participatory budgeting, or collective decisions on spending and taxation, reveals the factors behind its success in achieving democratic engagement.
The culmination of ten years of research into participation, this is a systematic analysis of how, when and why citizens gain control over these important decisions. Comparing global examples of both positive change and notable failure, the book provides persuasive evidence and guidance for future public involvement in taxation and spending.
For advocates and participants of democratic reform and those with interests across political science, this is an essential guide to one of the most significant democratic innovations of our times.
Read more about it here!
The Impacts of Democratic Innovations
By Vincent Jacquet, Matt Ryan, and Ramon van der Does
Release date: 31st December 2023
Representative democracy is in crisis. One remedy is to foster citizen participation beyond elections. This has led to the development of democratic innovations (DIs) such as participatory budgeting and citizens’ assemblies, through which lay citizens can discuss political problems, and make meaningful contributions. DIs' critics argue that they fail to truly empower citizens; that they impede democratic representation and efficient government. Advocates assert that DIs make political systems more inclusive and democratic. Do these institutions matter for policy-making? Do they affect the broader public? What do political leaders do with their recommendations? How can we scrutinise DIs’ impacts? Do they truly transform representation? This book brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to offer innovative ideas to develop research, improve our knowledge of the impacts of democratic innovations, and help us respond more effectively to contemporary democratic challenges.
View a download of the PDF here!
