Participatory skepticism: Ambivalence and conflict in popular discourses of participatory democracy García-Espín, Patricia Ganuza, Ernesto Political participation In recent years researches have focused on the preferences of ordinary citizens towards democratic deepening, asking: Do people want more institutional participation? The present work analyzes how different classes of people envisage a participatory democracy and its problems. Supported by qualitative research based on 16 focus groups conducted in Spain between 2011 and 2013, it is shown that skepticism plays a central role in the views of participatory democracy. Doubts surrounding its viability, negative expectations on the responsiveness of governments and, overall, distrust of the capacities of ordinary citizens, contribute to skepticism. In some groups these beliefs lead to a rejection of participatory reforms. In other groups, participants harbor hopes and positive prospects. For them, the key point is faith in education as a shortcut to political equality. 2025-01-30T09:51:15Z 2025-01-30T09:51:15Z 2017 journal article García-Espín, Patricia, and Ernesto Ganuza. "Participatory skepticism: Ambivalence and conflict in popular discourses of participatory democracy." Qualitative Sociology 40 (2017): 425-446. https://hdl.handle.net/10481/101172 10.1007/S11133-017-9367-6 eng embargoed access Qualitative Sociology