Restoring trust in government through improved customer experience

The frustration many Americans experience in even the most basic interactions with government—like renewing a driver’s license or filing taxes—fractures trust in our institutions, which is already near historic lows. These inconveniencies affect a range of people beyond those receiving social services—from a mayor managing COVID-19 relief funds to a small business owner confused by a government loan application. The people most in need of support often have the least amount of time and resources to get the services they need. This is why improving the user experience in government services is critical for restoring trust and achieving equity.

On Wednesday, April 20, Brookings Metro convened a discussion focused on implementation of the Biden-Harris administration’s new executive order about improving customer experience in government. This discussion builds on a recent piece by Sha Hwang and Annelies Goger, Want to restore trust in government? Start with customer experience. Speakers highlighted efforts at the state and local level to develop more user-centered government services and examined some of the opportunities and challenges they are facing.

Viewers submitted questions by emailing [email protected] or tweeting to @BrookingsMetro using the hashtag #GovtServices.