The following charts were derived from data collected by the Public Policy Research Lab at the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, LSU. Audience members were given a survey before participating in the Louisiana Public Square program, and after the program. The charts compare the "Before" and "After" responses. The program, titled “Property Taxes”, aired July 21, 2004.

Some of the more interesting findings:  After participating in the program, a greater number of audience members felt their taxes were “about right”. A larger shift occurred in the number who felt that their property assessments were fair. Before the program, over half said their assessments were fair; after the program, only one third felt that way.  In other words, even though most were comfortable with what they were paying in taxes, the same number of audience members felt the system as a whole was not equitable.

After the program, the number who thought the government pays “a good deal” of attention to what people think doubled [to 18%]. Before the program, more than half of the participants said the government didn’t pay much attention to what they thought, but after interacting with their fellow citizens and the panel of assessors, only a quarter of the audience felt that way.