BILLINGS, Mont. – A new poll conducted by students at Montana State University Billings has revealed that while Montanans are sharply divided on national politics, they tend to be more united on local issues.

The Mountain States Poll, which has been conducted for more than 30 years, provides insights into the political opinions of Montanans.

Dr. Hope Dewell Gentry, an associate professor of political science at MSU Billings, supervised the survey conducted by students in the “Media, Public Opinion and Polling” course. They gathered opinions from 854 residents during the first week of October through online and phone surveys.

“We want to make sure that we are looking at a representative sample of Montanans all across the state and how they feel about politics,” said Dewell Gentry.

The poll includes standardized questions about the president and other federal and state leaders, while some questions are chosen by students based on their interests. Common topics include abortion issues and gun rights.

“The nature of the question can vary from year to year depending on the type of question the student is asking and trying to get answered,” said Dewell Gentry.

The results showed that 54 percent of respondents voted for President Trump. However, when asked about Trump’s performance in office, the state was evenly split with 41 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving.

Congress received a lower approval rating, with only 13 percent of respondents giving lawmakers a positive rating.

Among state and federal officials, Governor Greg Gianforte had the highest job approval rating at 37 percent, with congressional delegates averaging 30 percent. This was surprising to many, according to Dewell Gentry.

“Like, this is the beginning of the term, I think there was some surprise that they weren’t more popular at the time. Usually, representatives experience a little bit more of a honeymoon phase, and we haven’t really seen that this time around,” said Dewell Gentry.

Dewell Gentry emphasized that the poll is a significant learning opportunity for students each year.

“This is coming from students wanting to know more about Montana and promote Montanan opinions and make sure we feel heard because Montana is a state that doesn’t get a lot of attention nationwide,” said Dewell Gentry.

For those interested in further details, click here to read the full poll results.