BATON ROUGE — A new study found that Louisiana residents are slightly more centrist and have a higher interest in politics than average Americans. 

The LSU Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana released a study on Wednesday that measured Louisiana residents in areas of shared values, trust in institutions, civic participation and media use in hope to understand political divide.

Overall, the survey gauged that Louisiana residents feel less or the same amount of a party divide than the average American.

The survey conducted live phone interviews and online surveys with over 1,000 Louisiana adults from Nov. 2025 to March 2026. 

Here is what they found: 

-Louisiana residents are slightly less polarized than the rest of the country, particularly when it comes to feelings about their own party and the opposing political party. 
-When residents were asked to rate someone they know personally from a different party, the political divide lessened 
-70% of participants reported having a conversation with someone with different political views within the past month, while only 8% said they post about politics online. 
- 81% surveyed wanted to see a politician in office working harder to find common ground between parties. 
- 74% believe the values set in the U.S. Constitution are as relevant today as they were in the past
- 92% agreed that all Americans deserve equal opportunity to succeed no matter what
- 91% agreed that free speech rights should apply equally to all ground no matter political beliefs
- 70% polled that violence is never justified to achieve political goals; however, 14% said it could sometimes be justified

“These findings show that Louisianans can disagree on politics while still sharing important democratic values. That broad commitment to free speech, equal opportunity and constitutional principles creates space for more constructive debate and cooperation,” Steven Procopio, president of PAR, said.

To read the full survey, click here.