What trust there is, analysts say, is divided along party lines. Academics say Texans aren't alone in their trust in local government. If the garbage is picked up, the water works and the police come, people are fairly happy with their local government. Every two years since 1979, the University of Texas has surveyed state employees on how well they feel their agencies are performing. Through that survey, each of the 51 participating agencies get feedback from employees, which officials hope will be used to spot problem areas, said Mike Lauderdale, a social work professor at the University of Texas.
Opinions vary from agency to agency and some are seen as more effective than others.
Areas that state employees traditionally rank high include quality of customer service and working well with the public. Forty percent of Texans say state government is known as an employer that offers competitive salaries. This difference is to be expected because employees inside an organization performing the work are more likely to view it positively. Twenty-six percent of Texans say the quality of services provided by state agencies has become better. And 41 percent of Texans say state agencies are known for the high-quality of their customer service.