Broad support exists among Louisiana residents for the principles of transparency and public access to government records, according to the latest installment of the 2016 Louisiana Survey.
But when it comes to putting these principles into practice, however, support is sensitive to the specific kinds of records in question.
The study found that Louisiana residents have little faith in their state government. Fewer than one in five respondents trust state government to do what is right “always” or at least “most” of the time. A majority of those polled, 60%, said they can trust state government to do what’s right “some of the time.”
Louisiana has come under increased scrutiny over the issue of government transparency and public access to state records, the survey notes. The Center for Public Integrity, a national government watchdog group, recently assigned an “F” grade to Louisiana for its record on public access to government information.
In general, the study found broad support exists for the idea of transparency and access. Nearly all Louisiana residents, 95%, agree with the statement, “Every citizen should have complete access to information about their state government.”
A majority, 56%, also disagrees with the statement, “Sometimes state officials are justified in keeping government information from the public.”
However, the public’s support for transparency apparently depends on the issue in question. For instance, while 82% agree that records about state incentives provided to businesses for economic development should be open to the public, just half believe the public should have access to the governor’s calendar and schedule.
This is the sixth installment about findings from the 2016 Louisiana Survey, which is a project of the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communications. The survey was administered during the month of February to more than 1,000 adult Louisiana residents.
The Manship School’s Press Law and Democracy Project will host a panel discussion on the topic today at 1 p.m. at the Manship School on the LSU campus.
—Stephanie Riegel
