Social Equity in Budgeting: Challenges and Efforts to Improve Public Engagement

This study examines social equity in budgeting, focusing on the process and access dimensions of equity through public engagement. Using data from surveys of finance directors and interviews with public managers in a sample of California cities, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative analysis shows that the level and diversity of public engagement in budgeting in the sample cities are low and associated with the overall level and diversity of engagement in the policy making, suggesting process inequality. In addition, the qualitative analysis identifies significant access barriers to budgeting, indicating access inequality, and highlights the efforts by the sample cities to address these inequities.