Citizen Evaluations and Urban Management: Service Delivery in an Era of Protest

Abstract

Ats urban analysis has focused on local services as a significant governmental function, increasing attention has been directed to citizen evaluations of these services. Such a focus can be justified in terms of democratic theory, which considers citizen evaluations of government important in and of themselves. It also makes sense in utilitarian terms, in which citizen evaluations provide responsible public officials with important cues about public perceptions of performance of local agencies.' The role of citizen evaluations of local government services has been topic of a significantly growing body of literature.' Indeed, such evaluations are increasingly incorporated into empirical work in this area of urban government.3 While some have recently questioned their practical utility to decision makers, relative position of citizen evaluations in service delivery constellation remains an open and important question.4 The significance of citizen evaluations in resolving the central issue of urban politics, delivery of essential municipal services, has yet to be determined.5 This study offers a model of citizen evaluation and response process, and, hence, provides a preliminary mapping of service delivery constellation and position within it of citizen evaluations. The model is tested by surveying a random sample of urban citizens within a single state as to their satisfaction and desire for more influence across a spectrum of essential municipal services. The practical implications of this study for those responsible for provision of essential services are then delineated.