Bureaucracy and Public Opinion

Synonyms

Citizen satisfaction with public agencies; Trust in government organizations

Definition

Bureaucracy and public opinion refers to the individual or public views toward government agencies.

Introduction

The state of public opinion toward bureaucracy is interesting and important not just from an academic perspective, but a pragmatic, policy perspective as well. Popular support for governing institutions is considered an important component for healthy functioning of democratic institutions (Putnam et al. 1993; Doyle 2011). In general, there is a sense that the American population has a negative attitude toward bureaucracy. For example, the term bureaucracy is commonly used in a pejorative sense, to signal organizational inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Yet, there is some evidence to suggest the American public is generally satisfied with their personal experiences with government agencies. This essay analyzes public opinion toward bureaucracy from an academic and public...