Jiménez Sánchez, ManuelFernández-Martínez, José LuisGarcía-Espín, Patricia2023-11-142023-11-142019-03-02Administration & Society, 52(5), 718-74810.1177/0095399719833628http://hdl.handle.net/10433/16718Most research on participatory processes has stressed the positive effects that these institutions have in the relationships between public authorities and civil society. This article analyzes a more negative product that has received scant attention: participatory frustration. Departing from Hirschman’s cycles of involvement and detachment, the article shows four paths toward frustration after engaging in institutional participatory processes: (a) inflated expectations, (b) the failure of design and adjusting mechanisms, (c) poor results, and (d) abrupt discontinuations. Drawing on six cases in Spanish cities, this article proposes a reflection on how participatory reforms can contribute to feed frustration and political disenchantment.enAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Participatory processesLocal politicsParticipatory budgetingAdvisory councilsCivil societyFrustrationjournal articleopen access