Progressive Mayors Can Learn From Peru's Two-Decade Experiment With Participatory Democracy

In their recent volume, the scholars detail how Peru has built a nationwide system of participatory budgeting that engages ordinary residents in decisions on infrastructure and urban planning. Their data show that, when adequately funded and tied to annual budgets, these mechanisms raise civic participation, make governments more responsive, and improve residents' quality of life. The book also documents persistent problems: cumbersome registration that sidelines the poor, limited outreach that lets organized groups dominate, and a disconnect between community proposals and final municipal expenditures.

Legal mandates safeguard the process from political turnover, but they also constrain its dynamism and integration with larger planning frameworks. Moreover, despite local successes, Peru remains one of the most politically volatile democracies in Latin America, underscoring that strong local institutions cannot replace robust national governance. The authors suggest progressive mayors, like New York City’s Zohran Mamdani, view participatory tools as a foundation for broader movement building rather than a standalone solution.