Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1988

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Political Science

Major Professor

Michael R. Fitzgerald

Committee Members

William Lyons, Luther Kendall, Hyrum Plaas

Abstract

This research examines citizen attitudes toward local public services. Further, it investigates the antecedents of these service attitudes, as measured by service evaluations, so as to explore the way in which citizen attitudes about public services are shaped. Nine public service areas are indicators of the major dependent variable, citizen service attitudes.

In examining citizen attitudes toward local services, this research develops, applies, and tests a model of the citizen evaluation process. The model seeks to explain how differences in service attitudes arise and prevail across the mass public. The model postulates that background and social psychological factors affect an individual's attitudes.

Social psychological factors are hypothesized to intervene between the background factors and the dependent variable, citizen service attitudes toward local services. Stronger relationships are expected to exist among the social psychological factors and citizen service attitudes. The ultimate test of the model's contribution lies in the degree of contribution the social psychological factors make in explaining citizen attitudes tov^ard local services. The model is tested by Multiple Regression Analysis.

The data for this research are from a national opinion poll conducted in 1977 by Louis Harris and Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Multiple regression results indicate the model is weak in predicting social psychological factors, but more powerful in explaining service satisfaction. Based on these results certain adjustments are recommended for future research.

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