This anonymous, online survey was made available to DOT executives and legislators in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The survey allowed respondents to share anonymously their experiences and thoughts about interactions between the DOT and the legislature in their respective states. Thirty legislators and 26 DOT officials responded. (Organizations that responded to Survey 3 are not listed in Appendix C due to the anonymity of the responses.)
NCSL-AASHTO Survey for State Legislators (or)
NCSL-AASHTO Survey for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. This survey should only take 5-10 minutes of your time.
All of your answers will be completely confidential.
This survey is part of a collaborative research project of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). By completing this survey, you are contributing to a new, foundational resource that will help DOT personnel and state legislators better understand and navigate intergovernmental arrangements.
If you have any questions about this survey or the NCSL-AASHTO study, please contact Jaime Rail at jaime.rall@ncsl.org or 303-856-1417.
1. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements.
| Disagree Strongly | Disagree | Neither Agree nor Disagree | Agree | Agree Strongly |
The legislature and DOT in my state work together effectively. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The DOT in my state generally acts in the public's best interest. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The legislature in my state generally acts in the public's best interest. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The DOT in my state is open and transparent in how it shares information about its activities and decisions. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Legislators in my state are committed to public service, not political or personal interest, when making transportation-related decisions. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
There is an appropriate balance of power in my state between the DOT and the legislature. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The legislative process in my state introduces unnecessary bureaucracy or delay into transportation-related activities. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The DOT in my state should be subject to additional independent oversight and accountability. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The legislature in my state understands how a government agency like the DOT operates in practice. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The DOT in my state is a responsible steward of public resources, with minimal fraud or waste. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The public meaningfully influences the decision- making process for transportation projects in my state. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The DOT in my state acts in a way that is consistent with legislative intent. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The state legislature has a fundamental responsibility to oversee operations at the DOT. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The public is made sufficiently aware of significant transportation policy and budget decisions made by the DOT in my state. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
The public is made sufficiently aware of significant transportation policy and budget decisions made by the legislature in my state. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Transportation projects in my state are chosen based primarily on merit, not political, personal or other considerations. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
2. What has worked well in your state, in terms of interactions between the legislature and the DOT? ______
3. What has NOT worked well in your state, in terms of interactions between the legislature and the DOT? ______
4. What challenges, problems or tensions exist between your state's DOT and legislature? ______
5. Please share any lessons learned, best practices or recommendations for DOT-legislative interactions. ______
6. Additional comments (optional): ______
7. Please enter your e-mail address here (optional) if you would like to see the final results of this Study. ** IF YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, YOUR SURVEY ANSWERS WILL STILL BE COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL. ** ______
Thank you for your participation in this survey! Please click "done" to submit your response.