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Citizen Perceptions of Government Service Quality: Evidence from Public Schools

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  • Chingos, Matthew M.
  • Henderson, Michael
  • West, Martin R.

Abstract

Conventional models of democratic accountability hinge on citizens' ability to evaluate government performance accurately. In recent years, public reporting of governmental performance has expanded in many policy domains, potentially enhancing citizen capacities to make accurate evaluations. Yet there is little evidence on the degree to which citizen perceptions correspond to actual service quality. Using survey data, we find that citizens' perceptions of the quality of specific public schools reflect available information about the level of student achievement in those schools. The relationship between perceived and actual school quality is two to three times stronger for parents of school-age children, who have the most contact with schools and arguably the strongest incentive to be informed. A regression discontinuity analysis of an oversample of Florida residents confirms that public accountability systems can have a causal effect on citizen perceptions of service quality, particularly for those with fewer alternative sources of relevant information.

Suggested Citation

  • Chingos, Matthew M. & Henderson, Michael & West, Martin R., 2012. "Citizen Perceptions of Government Service Quality: Evidence from Public Schools," Quarterly Journal of Political Science, now publishers, vol. 7(4), pages 411-445, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:jlqjps:100.00011071
    DOI: 10.1561/100.00011071
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    Cited by:

    1. Maaser, Nicola & Štrobl, Martin, 2024. "School performance and retrospective voting: Evidence from local elections in Denmark," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    2. James Gerard Caillier, 2020. "Bureaucratic Bashing and Praising: What Effect Does it Have on the Performance Citizens Assign Agencies?," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 685-701, December.
    3. Augusto Cerqua & Costanza Giannantoni & Federico Zampollo & Matteo Mazziotta, 2025. "The Municipal Administration Quality Index: The Italian Case," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 177(1), pages 345-378, March.
    4. Peter Rasmussen Damgaard & Poul A. Nielsen, 2020. "Does performance disclosure affect user satisfaction, voice, and exit? Experimental evidence from service users," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 3(2).
    5. Weijie Wang & Taek Kyu Kim, 2024. "Do government performance signals affect citizen satisfaction?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(3), pages 846-870, June.
    6. Eric J. Brunner & Yusun Kim & Mark D. Robbins & Bill Simonsen, 2024. "The impact of performance information on citizen perceptions of school district efficiency, trust in government, and support for taxes," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 6-44, June.

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