Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

To what extent do you agree or disagree that most citizens aren't willing to take the time to become well-informed on issues facing the jurisdiction?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that citizens tend to only be engaged on issues that affect them directly and not on issues affecting the community overall?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that you struggle to find enough citizens to serve on your jurisdiction’s appointed boards/commissions or elected offices?

In terms of their engagement in your jurisdiction’s policymaking and/or operations, how much of the time do you think you can trust the citizens in your community to be responsible participants?

One way of thinking about the proper role for citizen engagement in local policymaking is along a spectrum from low engagement to high engagement. At the low end, citizen engagement would focus just on keeping citizens informed about issues. At the high end, citizens would actually make decisions for the jurisdiction. While it might differ depending on the issue, in general, what do you think the majority of your jurisdiction’s citizens believe is the proper role for citizen engagement in local governance?

One way of thinking about the proper role for citizen engagement in local policymaking is along a spectrum from low engagement to high engagement. At the low end, citizen engagement would focus just on keeping citizens informed about issues. At the high end, citizens would actually make decisions for the jurisdiction. While it might differ depending on the issue, in general, what do you personally believe is the proper role for citizen engagement in local governance?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that a significant number of people in your jurisdiction are hostile towards the law enforcement officers that serve your jurisdiction?

In the past year, there have been a number of high-profile incidents of civil unrest across the country, often revolving around police use of force, as in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland. How concerned are you that a major incident of civil unrest connected to police use of force could happen in your jurisdiction in the near future?

To what extent, if any, do you think recent high-profile incidents of police-community violence such as those in Ferguson and Baltimore have lowered the morale of law enforcement officers that serve your jurisdiction?

To what extent, if any, do you think recent high-profile incidents of police-community violence such as those in Ferguson and Baltimore have lowered the level of community trust toward law enforcement officers that serve your jurisdiction?

One potential initiative on the statewide ballot in November 2014 would seek, in part, to amend the Michigan Constitution to extend the power of citizen referendum to bills passed by the state legislature containing appropriations. Would you say you support or oppose such a proposal?

Another potential initiative on the November 2014 ballot would seek, in part, to amend the Michigan Constitution to extend the rights of citizen initiative and referendum to local ordinances such as those in your jurisdiction. Would you say you support or oppose such a proposal?

 We want to start by getting a very broad sense of citizen engagement with your local government. How would you describe citizen engagement — whatever that means to you — with your jurisdiction? Overall, citizens in your jurisdiction are...

To the best of your knowledge, has the officials' control over decision-making increased, decreased, or not changed measurably due to your citizen engagement efforts?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that most citizens you hear from are more interested in complaining than in finding solutions?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that in your jurisdiction's policymaking processes, any citizen who wants to express an opinion has the chance to do so?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that you make opportunities for engagement available, but your citizens rarely take advantage of them?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that you don't need formal engagement efforts because your local officials already know what citizens want?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that your meetings run too long because too many citizens want to speak?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that citizens in your jurisdiction want access to information about the government's performance?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that most citizens aren't willing to take the time to become well-informed on issues facing the jurisdiction?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that your jurisdiction's engagement efforts mostly attract the same people over and over?

Citizens are often asked on opinion surveys how much trust they have in their government. Now we'd like to ask you, as a local official, about trust you have in your jurisdiction's citizens. In terms of their engagement in your jurisdiction's policymaking and/or operations, how much time do you think you can trust the citizens in your community to be responsible participants?

Would you say that most citizens who are engaged in your jurisdiction's policymaking processes are generally looking out only for themselves or that they want decisions made for the benefit of the community overall?

Thinking about controversial issues in your community, in general, who do you think should have the final say on your jurisdiction's most controversial decisions — citizens or public officials?