The challenge of increasing turnout at participatory budgeting: The Parisian perspective of “getting toward citizens”

Abstract

ABSTRACT A common problem for participatory budgets’ organizers is making people participate in them. Some organizers think and act to enhance participation. However, literature has paid little attention to that phenomenon. Thus, this study aims to explore how organizers address this issue through an in-depth case-study (the participatory budget of Paris). The research question is: What was the Paris PB organizers’ perspective toward participation from 2014 to 2020? There is a supplementary question: To what extent were their efforts to increase turnout effective? I used a mixed-method approach to answer these questions. First, I hypothesized that they had developed a perspective, a set of coordinated actions, and views about their problem of participation. I discovered the perspective of “Getting toward citizens”: being active to make (more) people vote. I then assessed the effectiveness of their efforts to increase turnouts.