Main Research Interests

I am Associate Professor with Habilitation in the School of Economics and Management and member of the Research Center in Political Science at the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. I teach courses on Local Government, Theories of the Policy Process, and Public Policy Analysis.

I am also Adjunct Associate Professor at the Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance of the United Nations University (more here)

I received my Ph.D. in Public Administration from the Reubin Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at the Florida State University.

My research interests comprise topics in the fields of local government and urban politics, including territorial reforms, regional governance, service delivery, and political and civic engagement. My research has been published in a wide range of journals in political science, public administration, and urban studies. 

Work in Progress

Szmigiel-Rawska, K., Tavares, A. and Wittberg, E. 2024. Political Institutions, Local Governance, and Land-Use Changes: A Case Study of Sweden. Under peer review.

Tavares, A. 2024. Of Wineries and Olive Trees: Exploring the Influence of Agricultural Interests in Land Use Dynamics. In progress.

Camões, P., Erlingsson, G., and Tavares, A. 2024. Crowding in Local Lists: Local Branches of National Parties and the Supply and Success of Local Lists. In progress.

Bel, G., M., Sebo, M. and Tavares, A. 2024. The Determinants of Municipal Transparency: A Meta-Regression Analysis. In progress.

Peer Reviewed Articles

Peixoto, Â., Camões, P. and Tavares, A. 2024. Local Delivery of Bus Transportation Services: A Model of Interdependency of Provision and Production Choices. Journal of Economic Policy Reform.  (link).

Erlingsson, G.Ó., Ohrvall, R., Tavares, A. and Wittberg, E. 2024. Close Actions Speak Louder than Distant Words? The Effect of Local Parties on Voter Turnout in Swedish Local Elections, 1994-2018. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. (link).

Tavares, A., Camões, P. and Martins, J. 2023. Joining the Open Government Partnership Initiative: An Empirical Analysis of Diffusion Effects. Government Information Quarterly. 40(2): 101789. (link)

Goulart, P., and A. F. Tavares. 2023. Integrating Knowledge Forms in Transport Planning: The Case of Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Urban Research and Practice. 16(5): 751-773 (link). 

Deslatte, A., Szmigiel-Rawska, K., Tavares, A., Ślawska, J., Karsznia, I. and Łukomska, J. 2022. Land Use Institutions and Socio-Ecological Systems: A Spatial Analysis of Local Landscape Changes in Poland. Land Use Policy 114, 105937.  (link)

Bel, G., Bischoff, I., Blåka, S., Casula, M., Lysek, J., Swianiewicz, P., Tavares, A., and Voorn, B. 2022. Styles of Inter-municipal Cooperation and the Multiple Principal Problem: A Comparative Analysis of European Economic Area Countries. Local Government Studies. 49(2): 422-445. (link)

Tavares, A. F., S. Moreno Pires and F. Teles. 2022. Voice, Responsiveness and Alternative Policy Venues: An Analysis of Citizen Complaints against the Local Government to the National Ombudsman.  Public Administration 100(4): 1054-1072. (link)

Szmigiel-Rawska, K., J. Lukomska, and A. F. Tavares. 2021. The Anatomy of Choice: An Analysis of the Determinants of Local Service Delivery in Poland. Local Government Studies 47(5): 685-711. (link)

Camões, P., A. F. Tavares and F. Teles. 2021. Assessing the Intensity and Diversity of Cooperation: A Study of Joint Delegation of Municipal Functions to Intermunicipal Communities. Local Government Studies. 47(4): 593-615. (link)

Rodrigues, M. and A. F. Tavares. 2020. Turnout and Territorial Reform: Data from Submunicipal Governments in Portugal. Data in Brief 30. (link) 

Roeger, A. and A. F. Tavares. 2020. Do Governance Arrangements Affect the Voluntary Adoption of Water Safety Plans? An Empirical Study of Water Utilities in Portugal. Water Resources Management 34(5): 1757-1772.

Rodrigues, M. and A. Tavares. 2020. The Effects of Amalgamations on Voter Turnout: Evidence from Sub-Municipal Governments in Portugal. Cities: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning. 101: 102685. (link)

Tavares, A. F., R. Raudla and T. Silva. 2020. Best of Both Worlds? Independent Lists and Voter Turnout in Local Elections. Journal of Urban Affairs 42(7): 955-974. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and N. F. da Cruz. 2020. Explaining Local Government Transparency: An Analysis of Information Disclosed in Official Websites. Government Information Quarterly 37(3). (link)

Silva, P., A. Tavares, T. Silva e M. Lameiras. 2019. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Three Faces of Social Media Usage by Local Governments. Government Information Quarterly 36(3): 469-479. (link)

Szmigiel-Rawska, K., Tavares, A.F., 2019, Sense or sensibility? Polish mayors in social media. Regional and Local Studies, 3(77): 27-38. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and R. Raudla. 2018. Size, Density, and Small Scale Elections: A Multi-Level Analysis of Voter Turnout in Sub-Municipal Governments. Electoral Studies 56: 1-13. (link)

Deslatte, A., A. F. Tavares, and R. C. Feiock. 2018. Policy of Delay: Evidence from a Bayesian Analysis of Metropolitan Land-Use Choices. Policy Studies Journal 46(3): 674-699. (link)

Bel, G., R. Raudla, M. Rodrigues and A. F. Tavares. 2018. These Rules are Made for Spending: Testing and Extending the Law of 1/n. Public Choice 174(1-2): 41-60. (link)

Tavares, A. 2018. Municipal Amalgamations and Their Effects: A Literature Review. Miscellanea Geographica - Regional Studies on Development 22(1): 5-15. (link)

Roeger, A. and A.F.  Tavares. 2018. Water Safety Plans: A Review of Empirical Research on Adoption and Implementation. Utilities Policy 53: 15-24. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and R. C. Feiock. 2018. Applying an Institutional Collective Action Framework to Investigate Intermunicipal Cooperation in Europe. Perspectives on Public Management and Governance 1(4): 299-316. (link)

Tavares, A. F. 2017. Ten Years After: Revisiting the Determinants of the Adoption of Municipal Corporations for Local Service Delivery. Local Government Studies. 43(5): 697-706. (link)

Rodrigues, M. and A. F. Tavares. 2017. The Same Deep Water as You? The Impact of Alternative Governance Arrangements of Water Service Delivery on Efficiency. Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation 3(2): 78-101. (link)

da Cruz, N. F., A. F. Tavares, R. C. Marques, S. Jorge, and L. de Sousa. 2016. Measuring Local Government Transparency. Public Management Review 18(6): 866-893. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and M. Rodrigues. 2015. The Economic and Territorial Impacts of Top-Down Territorial Reforms: The Case of Portuguese Parishes. Local Government Studies 41(6): 956-976. (link)

Carr, J. B. and A. F. Tavares. 2014. City Size and Political Participation in Local Government: Reassessing the Contingent Effects of Residential Location Decisions within Urban Regions. Urban Affairs Review 50 (2): 269-302. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and J. B. Carr. 2013. So Close, Yet So Far Away? The Effects of City Size, Density, and Growth on Local Civic Participation. Journal of Urban Affairs 35 (3): 283-302. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and M. A. Rodrigues. 2013. From Civil Servants to Liberal Professionals: An Empirical Analysis of the Reform of Portuguese Notaries. International Review of Administrative Sciences 79 (2): 347-367. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and M. A. Rodrigues. 2013. The Supply of Political and Administrative Instruments of Participation: An Empirical Analysis of Local Government Choices. Revista del CLAD Reforma y Democracia 56: 141-172.

Rodrigues, M., A. Tavares and J. F. Araújo. 2012. Municipal Service Delivery: The Role of Transaction Costs in the Choice between Alternative Governance Mechanisms. Local Government Studies 38(5): 615-638. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and L. Mamede. 2011. The Effects of Institutional Design in Program Performance: Promoting Sustainable Cities in Portugal. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 22 (3): 330-343. (link)

Tavares, A. and P. Camoes. 2010. New Forms of Local Governance: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of Municipal Corporations in Portugal. Public Management Review 12 (5): 587-605.  (link)

Tavares, A. F., S. Mendes, and C. Costa. 2008. The Impact of Deterrence Policies on Reckless Driving: The Case of Portugal. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 14 (4): 417-429.  (link)

Feiock, R. C., A. F. Tavares, and M. Lubell. 2008. Policy Instrument Choices for Growth Management and Land Use Regulation. Policy Studies Journal 36 (3): 461-480. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and P. Camões. 2007. Local Service Delivery Choices in Portugal: A Political Transaction-Costs Framework. Local Government Studies 33 (4): 535-553. (link) 

Jeong, M.G. and A. F. Tavares. 2002. Impact of State Growth Management Laws on Economic Growth. International Journal of Economic Development 4 (3-4). (e-journal)

Books and Book Chapters

Tavares, A.F. 2024. Municipal Amalgamation Reforms in Europe: Theory, Methods and Evaluation. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. (forthcoming)

Tavares, A. F. and Camões, P. 2023. Municipal Corporatization in Portugal: From Mania to Depression. In Andrews, R., van Genugten, M., Papenfuβ, U., Torsteinsen, H., and Voorn, B. (eds.) Corporatisation in Local Government: Context, Evidence and Perspectives from 19 countries. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. (link)

Tavares, A. F. 2023. Land-use Management: Local Institutions and the Power to Shape. In Teles, F. (ed.) Handbook on Local and Regional Governance. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. pp.299-314. (link)

Tavares, A. F. 2022. Bureaucracy and Public Administration. In J.M. Fernandes, P.C. Magalhães, A.C. Pinto (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Portuguese Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp.197-211. (link)

Tavares, A. F. and P. Camões. 2021. Portugal: Elections and Voting in a Dual-Tier Local Government System. In A. Gendźwiłł, U. Kjaer and K. Steyvers (eds.) Handbook of Local Elections and Voting. London: Routledge. (link)


Tavares, A. F. 2021. Advancing the Research Agenda on Local Territorial Reforms: Taking Time and Space Seriously. In M. Lackowska, K. Szmigiel-Rawska, and F. Teles (eds.). Local Government in Europe: New Perspectives and Democratic Challenges. Bristol University Press.  (link)

Tavares, A. F., J. Martins and M. Lameiras. 2020. Electronic Participation in a Comparative Perspective: Institutional Determinants of Performance. In M.P. Rodríguez-Bolívar and L. Alcaide-Muñoz (eds.) Digital Government and Achieving E-Public Participation. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Roeger, A. and A. F. Tavares. 2020. Water Safety Plans and Climate Change Mitigation. Walter Leal Filho, Anabela Marisa Azul, Luciana Brandli, Amanda Lange Salvia and Tony Wall (eds.). Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Partnerships for the Goals. Springer Nature.

Silva, T., A. Tavares. and M. Lameiras. 2019. ‘Trendy’ Cities: Exploring the Adoption of Different Types of Social Media by Portuguese Municipalities. In Panagiotopoulos, P., Edelmann, N., Glassey, O., Misuraca, G., Parycek, P., Lampoltshammer, Th., Re, B. (Eds.)  Electronic Participation. Springer. Pp.26-34.

Raudla, R. and A. F. Tavares. 2017. Inter-Municipal Cooperation and Austerity Policies: Obstacles or Opportunities? In Filipe Teles and Pawel Swianiewicz (eds.). Inter-Municipal Cooperation in Europe. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. pp.17-41.

Tavares, A. F. and F. Teles. 2017. Deeply Rooted but Still Striving for a Role: The Portuguese Freguesias under Reform. In Nikolaos Komninos-Hlepas, Norbert Kerstig, Sabine Kuhlmann, Pawel Swianiewicz, and Filipe Teles (eds.). Sub-Municipal Governance in Europe: Decentralization Beyond the Municipal Tier. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. 

Conference Proceedings

Szmigiel-Rawska, K., J. Lukomska and A. F. Tavares. 2018. Social Media Activity and Local Civic Engagement in Poland. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (pp. 279-287). ACM.

Lameiras, M., T. Silva, and A. F. Tavares. 2018. An Empirical Analysis of Social Media Usage by Local Governments in Portugal. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (pp. 257-268). ACM.

Tavares, A. F., E. Estevez and D. Sá Soares. 2016. Electronic Governance for Context-Specific Public Service Delivery: A Survey of the Literature. ACM Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance ICEGOV2016. Montevideo, Uruguay, March 1-4.

Tavares, A. F. 2003. Can the Market Be Used to Preserve Land? The Case for Transfer Development Rights. 43rd Conference of the European Regional Science Association. Jyväskylä, Finland, August 27-30. Published in Cd-Rom format.

Publicações (em Português)

Tavares, A. F. 2023. Burocracia e Administração Pública. In J.M. Fernandes, P.C. Magalhães, A.C. Pinto (eds.) O Essencial da Política Portuguesa. Lisboa: Tinta da China.

Tavares, A. F. 2022. Governo Local e Administração Autárquica. Lisboa: Sílabo.

Tavares, A. F. 2019. Administração Pública Portuguesa. Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos.

Tavares, A., L. de Sousa, A. Macedo, D. Fernandes, F. Teles, L. Mota, N. Cruz, S. Moreno Pires. 2018. A Qualidade da Governação Local em Portugal, Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos.

De Sousa, L., A. F. Tavares, N. F. da Cruz e S. Jorge (eds.). 2015. A Reforma do Poder Local em Debate. Lisboa: ICS.

Tavares, A. F. e M. Rodrigues. 2012. A Implementação de Políticas Sociais pelo Terceiro Sector: Um Enquadramento de Mercado. In Hugo C. Silvestre e Joaquim Filipe Araújo (eds.). Colectânea de Administração Pública. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.

Tavares, A. F. (ed.) 2006. Estudo e Ensino da Administração Pública em Portugal. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.

Tavares, A. F. 2006. A Análise de Políticas Públicas como Profissão: Retratos de uma Infância Difícil. In Antonio F. Tavares (ed.). Estudo e Ensino da Administração Pública em Portugal. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.

Pereira, A. P. e A F. Tavares. 2002. O Uso de Indicadores de Performance na Avaliação de Ensino Superior. Revista de Administração e Políticas Públicas, Vol. III, 1-2: 82-94.

Imagine uma mesa com três pés: administração, funcionários e estrutura política. Para que o tampo assente na perfeição — que é como quem diz, para que um programa político seja implementado e eficaz —, há que existir equilíbrio entre esta tríade de poder. Como garanti-lo? Neste ensaio, abre-se a caixa negra da administração do Estado, explorando quatro grandes temas: gestão e avaliação do desempenho; vínculos, carreiras e remunerações; qualificação e formação do pessoal; liderança e direcção. Procura-se os desejáveis suportes para uma administração pública democrática, orientada para o serviço público, através do controlo dos resultados dos serviços prestados. 

Quais são os factores que determinam a qualidade da governação local e como medi-los? Este estudo propõe-se avaliar a qualidade da governação local nos 308 municípios portugueses, através de um índice multidimensional, composto por 22 indicadores identificados e ponderados por um grupo de peritos e perceber quem são e como interagem os principais actores nas redes de governação local em matéria de desenvolvimento económico.

Este livro é um marcante contributo no estudo e análise da governação local e administração autárquica portuguesa.

Numa perspectiva multidisciplinar e panorâmica, o autor aborda um vasto conjunto de temas como a evolução histórica, o modo como se tomam decisões, adotam e implementam políticas públicas, o sistema político e o financiamento do poder local, entre outros. Para a compreensão destas realidades, muito contribui o conhecimento das instituições formais e informais, das regras e normas que condicionam o comportamento dos atores, do seu relacionamento com outras entidades públicas e privadas de que dependem e do contexto histórico em que todos estes elementos evoluíram. Integrando os contributos teóricos e a observação e análise das práticas, este livro, recorrendo a uma linguagem e exposição cuidada e acessível, destina-se quer aos eleitos, dirigentes e funcionários públicos da administração local, quer aos estudantes do ensino superior que iniciam os seus estudos em administração autárquica e governação local.

Paper Highlights

Ph.D Supervisions (completed)

Alexandra Roeger

Cláudia Costa

Rosalino Gomes

Miguel Rodrigues