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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Local governments were on the front line in responding to the COVID-19
pandemic. They also had to rethink their action mode and carry out a swift
digital transition. These changes affected the performance of local democracy,
in particular, the nature of Local Executive-Opposition Institutional Relations
(LEOIR). Using new survey data on the perceptions of local elected representatives, we run an ordered probit regression model to understand the perceived
effect of exceptional measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on LEOIR
in the Portuguese context. The results show, through the lenses of local key
informants, that the Executive’s capacity to explain to its constituents the
exceptional measures adopted and its formal duty to communicate these
decisions to the Municipal Assembly have aggravated the conflictual nature
of LEOIR. This study contributes to local governance research by elucidating
how accountability and communication practices can soothe or aggravate
Executive-Opposition institutional tensions in extraordinary times.
Description
Keywords
Local government COVID-19 Democracy Governance Opposition Accountability
Citation
Sousa, Luís de; Costa, Cláudia S.; Grilo, Filipe (2022). COVID-19 pandemic and local executive-opposition institutional relations: a survey analysis. Local Government Studies. ISSN 0300-3930. p. 1-21