ABSTRACT

The article aims to explore one of the tools of participatory democracy – participatory budgeting. By presenting two methodologies, from Poland and Colombia, the authors analyse the social and political potential of this tool as an answer for the crises of the representative democracy. The participatory budgeting puts into question the traditional decision-making processes by opening new possibilities for participation for ordinary citizens and challenging the power relations. The analysis will focus on how local knowledge is redefined and to what extent local experts are given more power within the process of the participatory budgeting.