Abstract
The last two decades have seen a rapid diffusion of participatory governance in local budgeting. First crafted in Brazil, participatory budgeting (PB) represents one of the most prominent and institutionalized democratic innovations at the local level. Its introduction has been concomitant with the adoption of participatory legislation at the subnational level. This chapter engages in a comparative study of the most recent PB editions in three Italian municipalities, namely Bologna, Caltanissetta, and Malles Venosta. These cases showcase different patterns of development of PB, providing a picture of its pace of consolidation. The presence of strong traditions of municipal self-government, civic associationism, and progressive municipal governments are shown as crucial for the entrenchment of PB into local practices. Regional and local legislation on participation are proven to be key variables for the institutionalization of PB, making its implementation systemic rather than episodic. Notwithstanding the intrinsic differences among the cases (geographic, socio-economic, and political), this chapter emphasizes the exceptional role that PB plays in Italy as one of the most well-established settings of decentralized participatory decision-making. While fostering participation in budgeting processes, PB is conceived by the authors as a tool for expanding the scope of local self-government and fighting democratic disenchantment.