The journey of participatory budgeting: a systematic literature review and future research directions

Abstract

This systematic literature review analyses the body of knowledge on the budgeting practice known as participatory budgeting (PB). This review identifies and analyses a dataset of 139 English-language papers focused on PB in the public sector published over three decades (1989–2019) in academic journals of different disciplines. The findings shed new light on PB, by systematizing this body of knowledge and explaining the PB idea journey. A research agenda is also set by clarifying overlooked areas of research and practical interests. The review provides a conceptual model to cope with specific issues in each phase of a PB journey, and it also sheds light on the role of political and managerial actors. Traditional and new themes to design a PB and implement participatory mechanisms are proposed. Practitioners can benefit from indications about the use of technological tools in mobilizing participation.