Interior tops citizen satisfaction rankings
Connecting state and local government leaders
Overall citizen satisfaction with federal government services dropped slightly in 2015, but the Department of the Interior topped the national average with 75 percent satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Though overall citizen satisfaction with federal government services declined slightly in 2015, a number of agencies earned better than average scores, according to according to the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index.
The ACSI is an annual measurement of satisfaction in which survey respondents are asked to evaluate their recent experiences with the federal government.
The Department of Interior led federal agencies in satisfaction with 75 percent, a score better than the national ACSI score of 73.8 percent, which includes both public and private sector organizations. Agencies at the bottom of the list include the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury.
Compared to a year ago, citizens found the information they received from agencies to be clearer and more accessible. Perceptions of the ease and usefulness of federal websites remained unchanged year-over-year.
However, a few specific online services did rank higher individually. For example, the Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid scored 82 percent, lifting the overall department’s 61 percent satisfaction score. Similarly, individual e-filers gave the IRS a score of 76 percent, whereas those filing on paper gave the IRS a score of 56 percent.
ACSI satisfaction percent scores by federal department are as follows:
75 Interior Department
71 State Department
70 Department of Defense
67 Department of Homeland Security
66 Department of Commerce
66 Social Security Administration
63 Department of Agriculture
62 Department of Health and Human Services
61 Department of Transportation
61 Department of Education
60 Department of VA
59 Department of Justice
55 Department of the Treasury
Overall citizen satisfaction with local governments also received an ACSI score of 64 percent, though no specifics were included on local government agencies or services.
NEXT STORY: Can smart shirts keep first responders safer?