Multilevel Governance Processes – Citizens & Local Budgeting: Comparing Brazil, China, & The United States

Abstract

Modifications to policymaking processes and actors are crucial when transitioning to multilevel governance. Civic engagement in budgeting processes, where crucial policy decisions are determined, is an important component of shared governance. Understanding the new roles for citizens in the budget process, then, can extend our knowledge of multilevel governance. This research explores the ways in which the budget process incorporates citizen participation to foster an ideal of civil society in the United States, Brazil, and China. The comparative case analysis probes the extent to which institutional changes have occurred, why they have occurred, and the degree to which municipal budget processes are characterized by multilevel governance.