Democracy and citizen participation: the participatory budgeting in Mexico City

Abstract

The democratization of the country has been a concomitant process with the promotion of citizen participation. The political-electoral changes, which were experienced from the 1980s, have triggered actions towards a greater political participation looking for a full citizen participation. Mexico City has become a benchmark for this political dynamic. Since the period of the first democratically elected head of government, efforts have been made to strengthen democracy through various participatory mechanisms. This paper reflects on citizen participation and how it is represented, analyzing the participatory budget. Despite the progress that has been made, it is necessary to strengthen citizen participation.