At a time of cratering institutional trust, Vincent Russell meticulously and humanely documents how participatory budgeting can point the way toward repair and transformation. Through this careful and compassionate book, Russell establishes himself as a leading new voice in the study of democratic communication, demonstrating clearly that the future of economic democracy depends on research like this.

Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, USA.

Russell's critical ethnographic study of Participatory Budgeting shows a new generation how to collectively confront powerful institutions, challenge oppressions, and advance social justice. Russell illuminates the engaging stories of individuals in two distinct public processes who were willing to dream, wrestle with differing views, and along the way learn more about local governance, community needs, and democracy. This book offers an inside look into how communication can build community solidarity, nurture meaningful relationships, confront obstacles and frustrations, and importantly, boost public participation so crucial for upholding democracy.

Spoma Jovanovic, Professor Emerita, University of North Carolina Greensboro, USA

I recommend this book to all who despair about ongoing efforts worldwide to undermine liberal democracy and struggles for social justice. Russell reminds us that democracy survives through democratic practices. His meticulously researched, empirically rich qualitative study of participatory budgeting in the United States shows that democracy finds its clearest expression in public deliberation among everyday people who care about the wellbeing of their communities and the possibility of a more equitable society.

David Boromisza-Habashi, Professor of Communication, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

If you could peak behind the curtain of community leadership, would the communication processes related to budgeting indicate evidence-based reasoning pursued in the cause of the common good or private interests seeding a world of inequality? Would those communication processes reflect an ethos of democratic inclusion and mutual respect or would they mirror systemic patterns of exclusion and exploitation? Vincent Russell's Reimagining Democracy: Communication Activism, Social Justice, and Prefiguration in Participatory Budgeting answers these questions by diving into case studies of participatory budgeting, a process that foregrounds the lived experiences of community members. More than just including local communities in budgeting debates, the participatory model pursues what Russell calls “an ethos of deliberative reciprocity.” Instead of slumming through mass-produced disinformation and the numbing world of social-media-induced apathy, Russell's case studies show neighbors coming together to discuss their needs, to share their visions, to learn from each other-in short, he shows us deliberation in action, at the grassroots level, where we do the hard work of reimagining democracy.

Stephen J. Hartnett, Professor of Communication and Director of the University of Colorado Denver's Prison Education Program, USA