Federal Agencies' Purpose a Mystery to Most Americans -- But More Information Equals More Favorable Opinion

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Obama Administration has a ready-made opportunity to improve the public's perception of the federal government through improved communications, but first it must do a better job of overcoming a "crisis of complexity" that leaves a majority of Americans unclear about the nature and breadth of services federal agencies provide, according to a new telephone poll of 1,000 adults created by Siegel+Gale and conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.

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Two-thirds of American adults (65%) say the U.S. government does not do a good job of communicating what benefits and services its agencies provide to its citizens, according to the poll released today. Only one-third (34%) rate the government's performance in this area as good. The survey shows that Americans tend to understand the basic functions of each agency, but many are unaware of the breadth of services they provide.  But what should be encouraging for Obama, when respondents were given specific information about agency programs, they were much more likely to recognize the impact the agencies have on their day-to-day lives and, more importantly, tend to view the agencies in a more positive light.

"On his first full day in office, President Obama issued a memo calling for transparency in government," said Alan Siegel, founder and Chairman of Siegel+Gale.  "Since then, with varying degrees of success, his Administration has striven to simplify government practices across all agencies. But this poll shows that the inability of government to communicate clearly is hampering that agenda. And that's a shame, because Americans are desperate for simplicity in communications from government and business so that we can make informed decisions and restore our trust in our institutions, public and private."

Some key findings from the poll:

• Majorities across gender and age lines and in nearly all demographic groups – with the notable exception of Hispanics (46%) – have a negative view of the way the federal government communicates with the public about the benefits and services offered by the various federal agencies.

However, when asked about six specific federal agencies – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – opinions tend to be more positive.  Yet while awareness of these agencies is high, (at least eight in ten have heard of each) the survey results suggest that few have a good understanding of the wide range of services that they offer.

• Among the six agencies, the FDA and the EPA are those that are best known, best liked and most perceived as having an impact on Americans' daily lives.
• The agency viewed least favorably among the six is the FTC and there appears to be a good deal of confusion around the role that the FTC plays.
• While the CMS enjoys higher levels of familiarity and favorability among its beneficiaries than it does among the general public, 40% believe the agency has little or no impact on their day-to-day living.
• While those who have a driver's license tend to have a better opinion of the NHTSA and to know it better in general than those who do not drive, awareness levels for specific NHTSA services are similar among drivers and non-drivers.
• Majorities view the TSA favorably and feel that it has an impact on their daily lives, though this is more common among more affluent adults.  Few seem to recognize that the TSA's responsibilities extend beyond airport security.

"This survey suggests that familiarity breeds affection," Siegel said. "Government agencies could significantly increase their perceived value by simply increasing their visibility and communicating more clearly with the American people.  When government fails to communicate clearly, the social and economic costs can be considerable.  When Americans can't figure out how to answer U.S. Census questions, complete their tax forms, apply for student loans, qualify for small business assistance, or understand their Medicare and Social Security benefits, the economy suffers, revenues decline, and confidence in government takes a dive. The Obama Administration has an opportunity to change all that: when government provides applications that are easy to complete, disclosures that actually inform, and websites that are navigable and intelligible, this clarity and convenience sends a powerful message that our government is truly here to serve the people."

About Siegel+Gale

Siegel+Gale (www.siegelgale.com) is one of the world's premier strategic branding companies and a pioneer in simplifying complex customer communications. Since it was founded by Alan Siegel in 1969, the firm has built world-class brands for many of the world's most successful companies through elegantly simple strategies, communications and experiences. Driven by its philosophy of "Simple is Smart," Siegel+Gale has led the way in bringing innovation to the corporate branding field, including transforming complex, incomprehensible customer communications into plain English; helping clients create distinctive brand voices across all their communications; transporting brands onto the Internet; and aligning the brand experience with the brand promise.

The firm's clients include AARP, Aetna, American Express, Bank of America, Dell, The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Internal Revenue Service, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, 3M, Microsoft, Motorola, the National Basketball Association, Pfizer and Sony PlayStation. Siegel+Gale has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Hamburg, Dubai and Shanghai and strategic partnerships around the world.

Siegel+Gale is part of the Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms serve over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

These are some of the findings of poll conducted by Ipsos March 11-15, 2010. For the survey, a nationally representative, randomly selected sample of exactly 1,000 adults aged 18 and older across the United States was interviewed by Ipsos. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 3.1  percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population in the U.S. been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to U.S. Census figures. Respondents had the option to be interviewed in English or Spanish.

SOURCE Siegel+Gale