The National Citizen Survey The first and last measure of a good government is citizen satisfaction. State College is one of a number of local governments that have used the National Citizen Survey (NCS), a statistically valid measurement of resident opinions, to gather information on citizen satisfaction with government services and quality of life in general. The Citizen Survey provides an opportunity for State College to compare local results to norms based on results of more than 400 surveys administered throughout the country. Results from the Citizen Survey are used by the Borough Council and Borough staff for planning, resource allocation, and program and policy evaluation. The end goal is to improve municipal services, increase civic involvement, strengthen public trust, and improve the quality of life in State College.
Soul of the Community Report State College participated in a three-year study conducted by Gallup of the 26 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation communities across the United States to determine the factors that attach residents to their communities and the role of community attachment in an area's economic growth and well-being. Gallup interviewed a random, representative sample of 400 adults (age 18+) in each of the 26 Knight communities – nearly 14,000 people each year.