In general, constituent groups are reasonably satisfied with how the five agencies perform their key functions. Majorities say the IRS is doing a good job collecting taxes and issuing refunds, the SSA is doing a good job issuing numbers and cards and the FAA is doing a good job making sure planes are safe to travel and air traffic is well regulated. Even stronger numbers give the FDA solid marks for ensuring safe food, drugs and medical devices. On this point, business officials and environmental advocates agree. One point worth noting with regard to EPA, it is impossible to know how well respondents were able to distinguish between the federal agency's responsibilities and those of state and local environmental agencies.
Some agencies receive significantly different marks for different functions.
For example, scores for the way IRS handles audits fall below those for its issuing of refunds and, while most groups say that the SSA capably issues Social Security cards, they are less confident in the agency's ability to protect the system from cheaters. Constituents are much less enthusiastic, however, about the process by which the agencies attain this success. The agencies get generally poor ratings for how well they carry out their administrative tasks. The constituent groups criticize the agencies for working too slowly and making their rules and forms too complicated. While the IRS is seen as doing a good job in collecting taxes and issuing refunds, it does so in an unnecessarily bureaucratic way, constituents say.