On becoming the new mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the end of 2016, G. T. Bynum, a moderate Republican, saw a chance to make city government more responsive to residents and help them flourish. Elections did not supply much real information about residents’ preferences, however, and between elections, how could a public official learn what people wanted when only small numbers of the most motivated turned up at community meetings? Bynum asked. Bynum wanted to learn more about Tulsans’ priorities as well as their senses of trust in government, safety, access to help, and well-being. He tapped James Wagner—head of a small, new city office on data, performance, and strategy—to work with Gallup, Inc., on a survey later named the Gallup–Tulsa CitiVoice Index. Administered twice—once in 2018 and once at the beginning of 2020—the survey generated data that Bynum used for driving a variety of city initiatives. The most surprising finding was that within income groups, a sense of neighborhood belonging appeared to influence perceptions of well-being more strongly than did many other plausible drivers, and Bynum launched a new and experimental effort to improve neighborhood experience.

Jennifer Widner drafted this case study based on interviews conducted during June and July 2024. Case published in August 2024.