Cities in Action: Measuring Trust in Local Government

Overview

City Name: Broadview, IL; Dublin, OH; New Orleans, LA

NLC Partner: Polco

Problem: Trust in government has declined, and there is no widely adopted way to measure how much residents trust their local government and track this metric over time.

Solution: Polco survey experts, along with colleagues at Envisio and Arizona State University, worked with local government professionals in Broadview, Dublin, and New Orleans to create a trust Index that can be measured and shared with other local governments to help build and improve trust with residents.

Outcome: An index was developed that allowed measuring trust in a way that was specific enough to be meaningful but general enough to be used in any community. The three member cities launched the survey the week of January 3^rd, and initial results will be shared during the Capstone Challenge Final Presentations on February 9^th and 10^th.