This article addresses the need for government commitment to participatory budget (PB) experiences, based on a comparison of processes in two municipalities: Blumenau and Chapecó, Santa Catarina. The discussion about the construction of democratic public spaces in Brazil is reviewed and the factor of government commitment is then emphasized. This is considered an important element to be observed in studying and applying the participative budget. The principal differences in the process of developing the PB in Blumenau and Chapecó, were analyzed, focusing on this variable and on the ways that political forces respect and attend the deliberations of this participatory process. The study principally used document and field research as well as semi-structured interviews. The results show that in Chapecó there was greater government commitment to the PB, which made clear how this can improve the chances for success of this experience.
participative budget; public sphere; government commitment
