Is participatory budgeting a driving force behind excessive social welfare spending?
研究了韩国214个市采用参与式预算后社会福利支出显著增加的现象，发现其可能导致支出过度，超出社会经济、政治和财政因素所解释的水平，并指出立法制衡、市长政治压力和多元政治取向可缓解这一趋势。
Participatory Budgeting (PB) allows citizens to directly influence public fund allocation, often enhancing poverty reduction and administrative efficiency. This study explores PB’s impact on social welfare spending in 214 Korean municipalities, identifying a significant increase in such expenditures post-PB adoption. The research highlights a potential overemphasis on social welfare spending due to PB, exceeding levels justified by socio-economic, political, and fiscal factors. It also shows that legislative checks, political pressures on mayors, and diverse political orientations can counterbalance the spending surge. The study cautions against a PB’s disproportionate focus on social welfare, which might neglect other government functions.