Question

1. what is participatory budgeting (pb)? why are cities around the world investing in the pb process?
2. what did the organizers mean when they said, \budgets are the essence of what government does...\?

Explanation:

1. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process where community members directly participate in deciding how part of a public budget is allocated. Cities adopt it to increase civic engagement, improve transparency in government spending, ensure public funds address community priorities, and build trust between local governments and residents.
2. This statement means that a government's budget reflects its core priorities, values, and actions. How public funds are allocated shows what the government actually prioritizes, from public services to infrastructure, rather than just stated goals.

Answer:

1. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic public budgeting process that lets community members directly help decide how portions of public funds are spent. Cities invest in PB to boost civic engagement, enhance government transparency, align public spending with local community needs, and strengthen government-community trust.
2. The organizers meant that a government's budget is a concrete reflection of its true priorities, values, and commitments—how funds are allocated shows what the government actually acts on, rather than just what it claims to support.