The Power and Perils of Participatory Democracy: Participatory Budgeting and Democracy in Peru

This book examines whether and how participatory institutions (PIs) serve as a tool for strengthening democracy in the face of democratic decline. It draws on the case of Peru, a country that simultaneously has one of the most successful participatory democratic systems in the world and one of the most fragile democracies in Latin America. Drawing on two decades of original qualitative and quantitative research and data, the book explores how PIs affect the quality of democracy and how citizens feel about the state of democracy. It shows that under the right conditions, PIs can improve accountability, participation, and responsiveness-especially when supported by a strong legal framework and national institutional backing. Yet it also finds serious limits: design flaws, uneven implementation, and deeper structural challenges have curbed their broader impact. PIs show real promise, but only modest power as tools of democratic renewal. Read more