As a government leader, it’s important to take a resident-centered approach to building trust with the community you serve. Your approach can be strengthened through communication strategies and digital tools, but first, it is important to understand how demographic factors influence residents’ perspectives. Surveys, events, public data, and partnerships with community organizations can all help.
In this article, I’ll share insights from the CivicPlus® Resident Satisfaction Report and other publicly available research to underscore how trust varies among demographic groups, and why taking a resident-centered approach is so important.
Feelings of Financial Security Are Tied to Trust
How much your residents trust the government may depend on how financially secure they feel. Our latest research revealed that nearly a third (28%) of respondents we surveyed with household incomes less than $50,000 said their trust in city leaders is very low or nonexistent. It’s very important to understand your residents’ financial well-being because financially insecure residents are more reliant on government services. For this group, a frustrating interaction — such as applying for housing — can lead to life-changing personal losses, making their online government interactions even more high-stakes.
Governments can use the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale to measure and score their residents’ perceived financial security. To deploy the tool, add the 10-item survey to program intake forms or resident surveys. After collecting baseline scores, you can re-administer the survey over time to measure population-level changes, assess program outcomes, or allocate resources.
Age Is a Factor in How People View Government
Trust in government can vary from one generation to the next, with trust generally being lower for younger residents. For example, research by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that Gen Z residents ages 12 to 26 reported lower trust in major institutions, including government. Governments can build trust with this generation and others by making it easy to ask for public documents and submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with purpose-built public records request software.
For older residents and people with disabilities, who may not have the same internet access or tech skills as Gen Z, it’s critical to ensure your website meets the highest ADA accessibility standards. Aside from ensuring your website meets upcoming ADA accessibility deadlines, accessibility and usability truly benefit everyone. Findings from our ongoing research show that residents who rate their municipal website as extremely or very easy to navigate report significantly higher levels of trust in their local government (88%).
Consider the Demographics of Internet Access
Residents want the ability to seamlessly engage with their government online, but many may not be able to do so conveniently. An AARP report assessing internet access among seniors found that 42% of American seniors lack access to fixed high-speed broadband in their homes. Slow, clunky government websites can also contribute to poor user experience. Prioritize a well-designed municipal website with non-technical language, intuitive navigation, and well-organized content to improve engagement and trust.
Partnering for Trust
To truly understand your residents and meet their needs, community partnerships are key. Collaborate with libraries, senior centers, food banks, fire departments, faith organizations, and nonprofits to conduct financial well-being surveys and identify age-related preferences or challenges when it comes to engaging with government online. By taking a resident-centered approach that harnesses the power of partnerships and accessible, user-friendly government technology, you’ll be well positioned to turn demographic barriers or hesitations into personalized solutions that build lasting trust.
Brenden Elwood is Vice President of Market Research at CivicPlus. He oversees the company’s resident and local government research and focuses on providing actionable insights and data to enhance resident and community engagement using accessible digital solutions. In addition, Brenden serves on the City Council of North Bend, Washington.
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