An Experiment in Brazil
A city called Porto Alegre in Brazil has carried out an extraordinary experiment in combining decentralisation with participative democracy. The city has set up a parallel organisation operating alongside the municipal council, enabling local inhabitants to take real decisions for their city. The nearly 13 lakh people in this city get to participate in making the budget for their own city. The city is divided into many sectors or what we call wards. Each sector has a meeting, like that of the gram sabha, in which anyone living in that area can participate. There are some meetings to discuss issues that affect the entire city. Any citizen of the city can participate in those meetings. The budget of the city is discussed in these meetings. The proposals are put to the municipality that takes a final decision about it.
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Model Answer
(35.1) Participatory democracy is a form of democracy in which citizens directly participate in decision-making processes of governance, rather than only electing representatives.
(35.2) The given example defines a decentralised government, where power is distributed to local levels and people at the grassroots participate in governance alongside the formal municipal council.
(35.3) In India, the Panchayati Raj system is similar to this example. Villages have a Gram Sabha, where all voters of the village can participate. Elected members form the Gram Panchayat, headed by a Sarpanch. In urban areas, Municipal Councils/Corporations perform similar functions. These local bodies discuss local issues, prepare budgets, and take decisions for their area, just like Porto Alegre's system.
Source: Democratic Politics – II, Chapter 2 (Federalism)
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Explanation
- (35.1) One line is sufficient for 1 mark — define the term clearly.
- (35.2) The key concept being tested is decentralisation (third tier of government). Avoid writing "federal" or "democratic" alone — be specific.
- (35.3) For 2 marks, name the system (Panchayati Raj), mention Gram Sabha (parallel to sector meetings), and the elected body (Gram Panchayat/Municipality). Drawing the comparison to the passage strengthens the answer. Examiners look for both rural and urban local bodies.