While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The Metropolitan Planning Council introduced participatory budgeting to Chicago nei...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Metropolitan Planning Council introduced participatory budgeting to Chicago neighborhoods in 2014.
- Participatory budgeting is a democratic process that gives community members direct control over portions of municipal spending.
- Instead of traditional top-down budget allocation, this approach requires residents to propose, debate, and vote on local infrastructure projects.
- In the Pilsen neighborhood, residents voted to fund new playground equipment and improved street lighting.
- The Logan Square area used their allocation for bike lane improvements and community garden development.
- The initiative has since expanded to twelve Chicago neighborhoods, with residents directing over $3 million in city funds.
The student wants to distinguish participatory budgeting from conventional municipal budget processes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
The Metropolitan Planning Council introduced participatory budgeting to Chicago neighborhoods in 2014, and the initiative has since expanded to twelve neighborhoods.
Participatory budgeting requires residents to propose, debate, and vote on projects, unlike traditional top-down budget allocation.
Participatory budgeting gives community members direct control over municipal spending; in Logan Square, for example, residents used their allocation for bike lane improvements and community garden development.
Both Pilsen and Logan Square participated in the program, but Pilsen focused on playground equipment while Logan Square prioritized transportation improvements.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Planning Council introduced participatory budgeting to Chicago neighborhoods in 2014. |
|
| Participatory budgeting is a democratic process that gives community members direct control over portions of municipal spending. |
|
| Instead of traditional top-down budget allocation, this approach requires residents to propose, debate, and vote on local infrastructure projects. |
|
| In the Pilsen neighborhood, residents voted to fund new playground equipment and improved street lighting. |
|
| The Logan Square area used their allocation for bike lane improvements and community garden development. |
|
| The initiative has since expanded to twelve Chicago neighborhoods, with residents directing over $3 million in city funds. |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Participatory budgeting gives Chicago residents direct control over local spending decisions, contrasting with traditional government-controlled budget allocation.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The question asks to distinguish participatory budgeting from conventional municipal budget processes. This means we need an answer that explicitly contrasts these two approaches.
What type of answer do we need? An answer that shows how participatory budgeting differs from conventional budgeting.
Any limiting keywords? The key requirement is distinguishing from conventional processes.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should show how participatory budgeting differs from conventional budgeting by highlighting the contrast between community control versus government control
- The notes explicitly mention the distinction between traditional top-down allocation and resident-driven decision making
The Metropolitan Planning Council introduced participatory budgeting to Chicago neighborhoods in 2014, and the initiative has since expanded to twelve neighborhoods.
- States when participatory budgeting was introduced and how it has expanded
- Provides timeline information but does not distinguish from conventional processes
Participatory budgeting requires residents to propose, debate, and vote on projects, unlike traditional top-down budget allocation.
- Directly contrasts participatory budgeting with traditional budget allocation
- Uses the key distinction from the notes about residents proposing, debating, and voting versus top-down allocation
Participatory budgeting gives community members direct control over municipal spending; in Logan Square, for example, residents used their allocation for bike lane improvements and community garden development.
- Defines participatory budgeting and gives an example
- Describes what participatory budgeting does but does not contrast it with conventional processes
Both Pilsen and Logan Square participated in the program, but Pilsen focused on playground equipment while Logan Square prioritized transportation improvements.
- Compares what different neighborhoods chose to fund
- Shows differences between neighborhoods, not between participatory budgeting and conventional processes