Resumo

GALICIA HERNANDEZ, Fernando M. et al. Firsthand Learning: Does Citizens’ Experience of Administrative Burdens Affect Trust in Government and the Perception of Government Performance?. Gest. polít. pública [online]. 2025, vol.34, n.2, pp.99-127.  Epub 09-Jan-2026. ISSN 1405-1079.  https://doi.org/10.60583/gypp.v34i2.8478.

Studies on administrative burdens have suggested that citizens’ negative experiences when trying to gain access to public services or benefits produce feedback mechanisms that affect their satisfaction with and trust in government in general. In this article, we test this hypothesis using original data from a 2022 Mexican survey on the burdens people face in administrative tasks in their everyday lives. Contrary to our expectations, we found no statistical evidence that greater experience of administrative burdens affects trust in government or the perception of its performance. In addition to possible methodological explanations, these findings also suggest that the functioning of feedback mechanisms depends on contextual variables, such as people’s expectations of public bureaucracies before interacting with them. Negative bureaucratic experiences can simply confirm citizens’ expectations about the costs involved in interacting with bureaucracies.

Palavras-chave : administrative burdens; policy feedback; trust in government; perception of performance; Mexico.

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