A public opinion survey conducted annually by two university professors shows that public confidence in public servants and services in 2009 has hit an 8-year-high. Among the high scorers were the Postal Service and IDF soldiers, while police and politicians fared poorly.
“This year as well,” says one of the two professors, Prof. Eran Vigoda-Gadot, head of the School of Political Science in Haifa University, “showed a continued increase in the public’s satisfaction with the public sector.” His colleague and co-conductor of the survey – conducted annually since 2001 – is Prof. Shlomo Mizrachi of Bar Ilan University's Public Policy Department.
The survey covered 563 participants who essentially represent the adult population in Israel and who were asked to grade various public services on a scale from 1 (very low level of satisfaction) to 5 (very high). The average satisfaction level this year is 3.15, compared with 3.08 last year. Only in the year 2001 was the public more satisfied, though just barely; the level then was 3.16.
Out of 19 public services respondents were asked about, 15 showed an increase in public satisfaction; only two decreased.
Regarding the public sector employees themselves, the satisfaction level was the highest it has even been in the nine years of the survey: 3.01.
The top and bottom three places on the list of public services in terms of satisfaction remained the same as last year. In first place is the Israel Postal Authority (3.94), followed by the Israeli airlines (3.72) and the Airports Authority (3.67). In last place once again was Israel Police (2.46 – higher than in previous years), followed by the Courts Service (2.55) and the Labor and Employment Service (2.69).
Most widely trusted among public sector personnel are the security forces: IDF soldiers receive an average satisfaction score of 4.08, followed by the Shabak (Shin Bet) agents (4.02) and IDF officers and soldiers (3.94). Next are doctors (3.61), followed by academic lecturers and researchers (3.5).
On the bottom of the list, as last year, are politicians (2.46), Cabinet ministers (1.94) and Knesset Members (1.93). These numbers are higher than they were last year.
Public Institutions
The top three public institutions in terms of public confidence are: Shabak (4.010), the IDF (3.89), and the Health Funds (3.53). On the bottom of the list are the political parties (1.78) and the Knesset (2.0).