Are retrospective evaluations of local governments moderated by perceptions of influence?

Objective: I examined whether retrospective evaluations of local governments were influenced by perceptions of local governments' influence. Methods: I fielded a survey (n = 1000) that asked respondents about their local governments, their perceptions of the economy and crime, and the influence of local governments on the economy and crime. Results: I found that respondents who strongly agreed with a statement that local governments had important economic consequences were more likely to connect their perceptions of the local economy to their evaluations of their local government than those who only somewhat agreed, or neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement. I found that respondents who strongly agreed with a statement that local governments could reduce violent crime were more likely to connect their perception of local crime to their evaluation of their local government than those who neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement. Conclusion: I found some evidence that retrospective evaluations are moderated by perceptions of local government influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]