According to the Local Government Barometer, it is in non-urban municipalities, where it is generally assumed that there is greater proximity to local government, that there is, in fact, greater knowledge: 72% know the party in the municipal executive branch, while in urban municipalities, only 61% can identify the name. Regarding the identification of the mayor, 60% can identify the name in non-urban municipalities and 57% in urban municipalities, according to a report by ECO.

The report indicates that areas outside major urban centres are most satisfied with local government, resulting from "more tangible municipal action and a daily experience more dependent on municipal services," the authors assert.

By region, the West and Tagus Valley regions and the Center region are the regions with the highest satisfaction, while the Algarve and Greater Lisbon regions have the most negative sentiments. In between are the Setúbal Peninsula, the North, and the Alentejo.

In the survey, half of Portuguese residents over 18 years of age said they have a very positive image of local government, while 34% consider it positive. Only 17% consider mayors' actions to be below par.

"Institutional literacy is essential for an informed and participatory democracy," the study points out, ranking citizens' knowledge of government agencies at different levels: on a scale of five, CCDR, metropolitan areas, and intermunicipal communities are rated as the two worst by over 40% of respondents.

In other words, just over half have some knowledge of the competence and functioning of these institutions. Conversely, the national government is the one whose role is best understood.

Among these capabilities, 80% of citizens believe that local government should have "more" or "much more" intervention in health and housing, two areas under significant pressure in the country. Another issue under the spotlight, particularly in Greater Lisbon, has been security, and in this case, 80% of respondents in urban municipalities want a city hall with greater influence than the current one, compared to 70% in non-urban municipalities. This demand for intervention exceeds that for areas such as transportation and mobility, education, and climate, for example.

In general, those over 55 years of age appreciate the work carried out by local representatives more, which helps explain the analysis of education, with the most positive image being witnessed by those with only primary education.

When asked about the responsibilities of city halls, 73% know that city halls are responsible for hiring school assistants, and 58% can say that city halls are not responsible for providing services at health clinics. The responsibility for collecting property taxes (IMI) raises little doubt, as 76% know that the local government is responsible for setting the amount. However, 62% mistakenly believe that city halls are responsible for maintaining all roads in the municipality, with this error occurring more frequently in urban municipalities.

The Local Power Barometer, a survey conducted by Filipe Teles and Nuno Cruz, is based on 1,070 interviews conducted between February 3rd and April 3rd with Portuguese-speaking residents of mainland Portugal, aged 18 or over. The margin of error is 3%, for a 95% confidence level.