This contrasts with most experiences done with more conventional forms of direct democracy, such as referendums, where richer and more educated people usually tend to participate more. There seems to be several reasons for this interesting state of affairs. For poorer and less educated people, the costs for participation are comparatively higher. In Porto Alegre, the administration makes an effort to lower these costs, for instance by actively divulging information on the possibilities for participation. Probably more importantly, participative budgeting allows poor people to improve substantially their living conditions.
Classic referendums tend to be about issues that are considered as 'political luxury' by the poor.
Research showed that the poorer and less educated largely abstained from voting, whereas the better-off mostly participated. From the point of view of the poor, abstention seems logical. I suspect that a strong democracy should encompass both referendums and participative budgeting. Some further remarks - Starting problems and opposition When the PT took over the office in Porto Alegre, the city was almost bankrupt. An inflated bureaucracy ate up almost all municipal resources.