citizen satisfaction
Why this is important: Although quality of life is influenced by one’s personal resources, it is also influenced by public resources, ranging from the availability of jobs and cost of living in one’s community, to the availability and quality of services from both government and non-government sectors. Assessing residents’ satisfaction with aspects of the built environment, services, and infrastructure in both their local government and their own neighborhoods is important for understanding their quality of life, due to the impact these local resources can have on community members’ lived experiences. Understanding residents’ evaluations and attitudes toward local government services also helps local governments evaluate their performance and effectiveness and demonstrate accountability to the public. 1
Definition: In the Quality of Life (QoL) Survey, citizen satisfaction was measured as residents’ satisfaction with local government, infrastructure and government services at both city and county levels, as well as satisfaction with infrastructure and services in their own neighborhoods or communities.
Key Findings: Citizen Satisfaction 2019 Fact Sheet
Data Source: Miller TI, Miller MA. Standards of excellence: US residents’ evaluations of local government services. Public Administration Review. 1991 Nov 1:503-14.