A new poll finds that Louisiana residents like to talk about politics much more than the average American. That conclusion is part of a survey conducted by LSU’s Public Policy Research and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Reilly Center Director Michael DiResto says they surveyed more than 1,000 residents to gauge political polarization.
“Almost double the amount of people are extremely interested in politics in Louisiana; which is interesting too, because you might expect that would lead to more polarization, but it has not,” DiResto said.
DiResto says survey results found that people in Louisiana appear to feel just as negatively about the opposing political party as they do nationwide, but in Louisiana people are comfortable in talking with people they disagree with politically.
“For 91% of Louisiana people, free speech is good; even for those they disagree with, regardless of their political belief,” DiResto explained.
In a potential sign of civic health, PAR president Steven Procopio says only 8% of the respondents say they frequently post about politics on social media.
“Social media is going to have all the people that are posting frequently, so it’s going to look more political; more lopsided. But, at it’s core, most people aren’t engaging in that,” Procopio observed.
DiResto says 70% of the participants reported having a conversation with someone with different political views within the past month.
“One of the other cool things is we ask people, ‘How would you feel if your child married somebody from the opposing party?’ And, overwhelmingly, people are fine with it, or it doesn’t matter either way,” DiResto noted.
The 2026 Louisiana Common Ground survey is part of an effort by LSU’s Public Policy Lab and Park to understand and reduce polarization while promoting dialogue and civic thought.
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