Interactivity and policy cycle within Electronic Participatory Budgeting: a comparative analysis

Abstract Participatory initiatives have increasingly used Information and Communication Technology, such as the Electronic Participatory Budgeting (ePB) to expand and improve participation. This research analyzes ePB platforms emphasizing interactivity aspects, as well as evaluating - in political terms - their functions regarding the dissemination of political information, sharing opinions, agenda-setting, and decision-making. This analysis examined the platforms’ tools types of interactivity based on two variables: the level of the receiver’s control and communication direction. The research identified ePB models and how the platforms’ functions are connected to each of them. The study also recognized in which phases of the decision-making process and the policy cycle the electronic participation is more likely to occur. Case studies in a comparative perspective were used to understand the variety of experiences of ePB.