Everyone seems to want to give Mr. Obama advice about how to run his Presidency. Here is another. The folks at Our Public Service. org have created a valuable tool if they follow it up with the same polling in a year, or four. They found, with the release of their latest poll, that the people of the United States do not, in general like the Government of the United States.
Since they are advocating public service, they spin this as an opportunity for President Obama, and it is. It will be interesting to see what he does with his vast store of goodwill and youthful energy. I would argue that the same results probably would be found if the poll were held in Delaware and about Delaware’s Government.
Here are the main findings of a new poll from “The Partnership for Public Service” and the Gallup Organization.
Americans are paying attention. Prompted by the economic crisis and two wars, Americans are attuned to government and see its connection to their personal lives. Eighty-four percent of Americans claim to be paying close attention to what is happening in government, and 80 percent believe government has an impact on their lives.
Experiences matter. Direct interactions with government move the needle of public opinion. Those who come into direct contact with the federal government are more likely to view that interaction favorably (32 percent) than unfavorably (18 percent). Additionally, those who have been satisfied with their contacts with federal agencies are three times more likely to give a positive performance rating to the federal government in general than are those who have been dissatisfied with their interactions (41 percent versus 14 percent).
Technology enhances touch. The Internet is the public’s primary portal into federal government agencies. More than half of Americans have visited the Web site of a federal department or agency, with 38 percent having visited such a Web site in the past six months. Additionally, it’s not just young people driving this figure. In the past six months, sizable percentages across all age groups say they visited a federal Web site.
Economic downturn = increased interest in government jobs. The downturn in the economy appears to be favorably impacting the way Americans think of government as a potential employer. Despite negative opinions about government performance on the whole, most Americans (53 percent) would recommend the federal government as an employer. The main reasons for encouraging the federal government as an employer are job security and benefits.
Don’t forget the process. The new administration needs to think about HOW government gets things done. The president’s policy agenda can influence public attitudes toward government, but this new research suggests public views are strongly correlated to the way government does its job. Across the board, the public gives low ratings of the processes by which government operates (i.e., how government does its work). However, Americans consistently rate government performance higher when they believe government gets the process right—by spending money wisely, making decisions based on merit and not politics, hiring talented civil servants, and demonstrating strong leadership.
Media matters. The media have tremendous power to move public opinion. The media are a key driver of public attitudes about government, particularly for those who have not had direct interactions. Nearly eight in 10 say they have seen news stories about the performance of federal agencies, but only 7 percent describe the coverage as positive. In addition, people who have seen positive stories about government in the press are twice as likely (45 percent to 22 percent) to give a positive performance rating for the federal government, than those seeing mostly negative stories.
Data from the report itself is damning indeed.
How do you feel about: Positive: Negative: Unsure:
Men and women in military 90% 6% 4%
U.S. military 79 17 4
Local government elected officials 46 47 7
State government elected officials 40 56 4
Men and women in federal government 37 52 11
Departments/agencies of federal government 27 66 7
Current U.S. President/administration 24 75 1
Elected members of Congress 22 74 4
