Learn
Budget accountability and transparency are well-established practices of good governance. Budget participation is less familiar. We are committed to supporting local governments in all three of these areas with free learning resources that focus on real world cases.
Training for Budget Engagement During Corona Virus Crisis
Budget Simulation Maker Workshop
Roseville, CA: Innovative Community Engagement
Customizing Budget Engagement for your Community Part 1
Customizing Budget Engagement for your Community Part 2
How Fort Collins Transformed its Budget to Better Serve Citizens
Past Recordings
More Resources
Bibliography of Research Articles
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A Guide to Online Financial Transparency
Mark Mack, Government Finance Review, 2019
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A Holistic Approach to Studying Budget Preferences: Using Interactive Budget Tools for Social Science Research
John D’Attoma, Kim-Lee Tuxhorn, Sven Steinmo, Midwest Political Science Association, At Chicago, 2018
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When budget surveys fall short
Chris Adams, American City and County, 2018
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Would You Like a Receipt with That? An Information-Sharing Tool for Enhancing Citizen Engagement
Whitney Afonso, Public Management Bulletin, University of North Carolina School of Government, 2014.
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Citizen participation in budgeting
Carol Ebdon, and Aimee Franklin. 2006. Public Administration Review 66:437-17 -
Raise Taxes, Cut Services, or Lay Off Staff: Citizens in the Fiscal Retrenchment Process.
Benedict S. Jimenez, 2013. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory -
A Dynamic Method of Citizen Preference Revelation.
Mark Robbins and Bill Simonsen, 2002. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, 14(3), 445-461 -
Civic Engagement and Local Fiscal Attitudes
2013 Survey of Californians, Center for California Studies, Civic Engagement and Local Fiscal Attitudes: 2013 Survey of Californians
Case Studies
- Engaging Parents on Stimulus Spending
- Norfolk's Year-Round Budget Engagement Yields Supportive Residents and a Happy Council
- Engage Roseville Lets Residents Align Service Levels with Revenue: Citizens Choose to Increase Taxes Rather Than Cut Services
- Voter Approval: New Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act Requires Increased Emphasis on Budget Engagement
- Ft. Collins Shows Residents the Money
Results Reporting
- Syracuse Schools Results
- Tacoma Results
- Fort Collins Results
- Charlottesville Results
- KCMO Balancing Act Report
Infographics
- 20 Questions for Budget Engagement
- Mapping Budget Engagement to Public Participation Goals
- When to use Balancing Act?
Presentations
Featured Resource
Balancing Act is used by more than 100,000 students in classrooms.
PBS' NewsHour has put together a lesson plan to help you use Balancing Act in the Classroom. This free resource will help teachers to get the most out of the interactive model of the US budget we produce in partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center.
View Resource“Quick Start provides a hands-on collaborative introduction to the program with other entities that are learning about it simultaneously.”
-Megan Graham, Public Affairs Officer
La Plata County, Colorado
Balancing Act is Used By
