Shreveport, Louisiana, was founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1839. It is the parish capital of Caddo Parish. The parish courthouse is located in the First Judicial District. It also serves as the home of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, which is made up of nine elected justices from twenty parishes in Northwest Louisiana. Because of the fluctuating channel of the Red River, a piece of east Shreveport extends into Bossier Parish.

Shreveport is governed by a mayor-council system. Adrian Perkins, the mayor, and seven members of the city council are among the elected municipal officials. The city’s first African American mayor was Cedric Glover, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.The mayor is the executive officer of the city in a mayor-council system. The mayor is in charge of general administration and ensuring that all laws and ordinances are followed as the city’s chief administrator and official representative.