Date of Award

Spring 3-1-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

There are many ways that local governments receive revenue. More often than not, the municipalities are the ones that make the decisions on what to do with the funds they receive, and the public must simply go along with it. Participatory budgeting (PB) has become an effective way for local governments to increase transparency in regard to how funds are dispersed, and for residents and stakeholders to be actively involved in the decision-making process — particularly in the city of Vallejo, California. By using personal interviews with City of Vallejo staff and secondary research on various other cities who have successfully implemented participatory budgeting, this paper will determine if the City of Vallejo improved the quality of life of its residents by implementing participatory budgeting to use PB funds on public enhancement projects. The analysis of Vallejo's implementation methods will assist other cities that are interested in this new democratic process of government spending.

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