ives . ▁Local ▁government ▁officials ▁use ▁the ▁data ▁from ▁citiz en ▁surve ys ▁to ▁assist ▁them ▁in ▁alloc ating ▁resources ▁for ▁maximum ▁community ▁benefit ▁and ▁forming ▁strateg ic ▁plans ▁for ▁community ▁programs ▁and ▁policies . ▁Many ▁private ▁fir ms ▁and ▁univers ities ▁also ▁conduct ▁their ▁own ▁citiz en ▁surve ys ▁for ▁similar ▁purposes . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁International ▁City ▁and ▁County ▁Manager ' s ▁Association ▁( IC MA ) ▁published ▁a ▁book ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Miller ▁and ▁Mich elle ▁Miller ▁Kob ay ashi ▁titled ▁Cit izen ▁Sur ve ys : ▁How ▁To ▁Do ▁Th em , ▁How ▁To ▁Use ▁Th em , ▁and ▁What ▁They ▁Mean , ▁that ▁directed ▁local ▁government ▁officials ▁in ▁the ▁basic ▁methods ▁for ▁conduct ing ▁citiz en ▁surve ys . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁re vised ▁and ▁repub lished ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁IC MA ▁partner ed ▁with ▁Miller ▁and ▁Kob ay ashi ' s ▁organization ▁National ▁Research ▁Center , ▁Inc ., ▁to ▁bring ▁The ▁National ▁Cit izen ▁Survey , ▁a ▁low - cost ▁survey ▁service , ▁to ▁local ▁govern ments . ▁National ▁Research ▁Center , ▁Inc . ▁maintain s ▁a ▁database ▁of ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁juris dict ions ▁representing ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁million ▁Americans , ▁allowing ▁local ▁govern ments ▁to ▁compare ▁their ▁cities ' ▁results ▁with ▁similar ▁communities ▁nearby ▁or ▁across ▁the ▁nation . ▁ ▁References ▁▁ ▁Category : Types ▁of ▁pol ling ▁Category : P s ych omet rics