Experimental evidence that quorum rules discourage turnout and promote election boycotts

Many democratic decision making institutions involve quorum rules. Such rules are commonly motivated by concerns about the “legitimacy” or “representativeness” of decisions reached when only a subset of eligible voters participates. A prominent example of this can be found in the context of direct democracy mechanisms, such as referenda and initiatives. We conduct a laboratory experiment to investigate the consequences of the two most common types of quorum rules: a participation quorum and an approval quorum. We find that both types of quora lead to lower participation rates, dramatically increasing the likelihood of full-fledged electoral boycotts on the part of those who endorse the Status Quo. This discouraging effect is significantly larger under a participation quorum than under an approval quorum.

A spatial multicriteria model for urban accessibility mapping

Accessibility is nowadays an important issue for the development of cities. It is seen as a priority in order toguarantee equal access to fundamental rights, to improve the quality of life of citizens and to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, mobility or ability, have equal access to all the resources and benefits cities have to offer. Consequently, factors closely related to the accessibility have gained a higher relevance for identifying and assessing the location of urban facilities. The main goal of the paper is to present an accessibility evaluation model applied in Santarém, in Brazil, a city located midway between the larger cities of Belem and Manaus. The research instruments, sampling method and data analysis proposed for mapping urban accessibility are described. Daily activities were used to identify and group key destinations. The model was implemented within a geographic information system and integrates the individualâ s perspective through the definition of each key destination weight, reflecting their significance for daily activities in the urban area. Accessibility to key destinations was mapped over 24 districts of the city of Santarém. The results of this model application can support city administration decision-making for new investments in order to improve urban quality of life.

Práticas centradas na família: identificação de comportamentos para uma prática de qualidade nos distritos de Braga, Viana do Castelo e Vila Real

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)

A comunicação do compromisso para com o desenvolvimento sustentável, das organizações portuguesas certificadas em qualidade, ambiente e segurança

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Industrial (área de especialização em Qualidade, Segurança e Manutenção)

Politically driven cycles in fiscal policy: in depth analysis of the functional components of government expenditures

NIPE - WP 02/2016

School health promotion and teacher professional identity

PURPOSE – Health and education are inextricably linked. Health promotion sits somewhat uncomfortably within schools, often remaining a marginal aspect of teachers’ work. The purpose of this paper is to examine the compatibility of an HP-initiative with teacher professional identity. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – A qualitative research design was adopted consisting of semi-structured interviews. In total, 49 teachers in two school districts in the Auvergne region in central France were interviewed in depth post having completed three years’ involvement in a health promoting schools initiative called “Learning to Live Better Together” (“Apprendre a Mieux Vivre Ensemble”). FINDINGS – Teachers in the study had a broad conceptualisation of their role in health promotion. In keeping with international trends, there was more success at classroom than at whole school level. While generally teachers can be reluctant to engage with health promotion, the teachers in this study identified having little difficulty in understanding their professional identity as health promoters and identified strong compatibility with the HP-initiative. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS – Teachers generally viewed professional development in health promotion in a positive light when its underlying values were commensurate with their own and when the context was seen as compatible with the school mission. The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice. ORIGINALITY/VALUE – The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice.

A Reorganização Administrativa do Território das Freguesias 2013 enquanto determinante de voto: estudo caso do Concelho de Braga e Guimarães

Dissertação de mestrado em Administração Pública

O reforço da democracia local no âmbito da reforma da administração autárquica

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito das Autarquias Locais

Estudo das ELI dos distritos de Braga e Bragança: um contributo para a avaliação das práticas centradas na família

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)