America is not a team sport.
Build civic trust. Defend democratic values. Work for the common good.
Common Ground brings together Americans who disagree on important questions but refuse to give up on one another—or on the democratic values that make self-government possible.
Why this work
55%
of the other party we picture as holding extreme views. The measured share is about 30%.
80%
of Americans say the two parties can't agree on basic facts.
213
U.S. counties have no local news outlet of their own.
15 of 30
of America's largest cities saw under 20% of eligible citizens vote in their last mayoral election.
A country we share requires work we share.
Practice civic courage
Say the strongest fair version of a view you do not hold before arguing your own. Stay at the table when it gets hard.
Protect the rules
Defend lawful elections, due process, and checks and balances whether or not the outcome favors you.
Build practical agreement
Find the water district, the school board, the library levy: the local work where neighbors already need each other.
The Compact
Five commitments
Constitution before personality
Lawful elections, checks and balances, civil liberties, due process, independent institutions, and peaceful transitions of power.
Country before party
Reject political dehumanization and the claim that patriotism belongs to one tribe.
Truth before propaganda
Evidence over rumor. Correct mistakes. Disclose uncertainty. Expect honesty from leaders, organizations, and media.
Community before contempt
Treat fellow citizens as human beings. Strengthen families, neighborhoods, and local institutions.
The common good before special interests
Support conditions that let ordinary people and communities live securely, participate meaningfully, and prosper.
The Common Ground Agenda
Where the conversation stands
Each topic lays out shared principles, where agreement is broad or still forming, and the questions honest people still argue about.
- DemocracyOpen questions
Election Administration and Trust
Elections are run by neighbors, not strangers. Americans across the coalition want voting to be easy for eligible citizens, hard to cheat, and trusted by the people who lose.
Read the agenda - EconomyOpen questions
Work, Wages, and Economic Security for Ordinary Families
A country where steady work no longer guarantees a stable life will not stay calm for long. Americans across the coalition want an economy in which effort is rewarded and a bad year does not become a ruined decade.
Read the agenda - InformationOpen questions
Local News and the Information Commons
When a town loses its newspaper, it loses more than headlines: it loses the shared facts that let neighbors argue productively. Rebuilding the information commons is a civic task, not a partisan one.
Read the agenda - CommunityOpen questions
Loneliness, Civic Associations, and Neighborhood Life
The habits of self-government are learned in lodge halls, congregations, and league nights, not on cable news. As those places empty, Americans are losing the practice of getting along with people they did not choose.
Read the agenda
Two Truths
State their strongest case first.
Before arguing for our own view, we practice stating the strongest fair version of a fellow citizen’s view. Each Two Truths piece gives two positions equal length, equal specificity, and equal charity, then names what each side could concede.
All Two Truths pieces- Two TruthsFeatured
Two Truths: Enforcing the Border and Honoring the Stranger
The strongest fair case for firm immigration enforcement, the strongest fair case for humanitarian obligation, and where honest neighbors still differ.
Before arguing for our own view, we practice stating the strongest fair version of a fellow citizen's view. This piece gives two competing positions on immigration equal space, equal specificity, and equal charity.
Common Ground editorial team4 min read - Two Truths
Two Truths: The Right to Bear Arms and the Duty to Keep People Safe
The strongest fair case for robust gun rights, the strongest fair case for stronger public-safety measures, and the ground both sides share.
Gun rights and gun safety are usually argued past each other. This Two Truths piece states each case at its strongest and names what each side could honestly concede.
Common Ground editorial team4 min read
A closer look
View data table
| Share | |
|---|---|
| What we imagine | 55% |
| What's measured | 30% |
View data table
| Cities | |
|---|---|
| Under 20% turnout | 15 |
| 20% or higher | 15 |
Local civic life
Chapters and events near you
Filter by state or ZIP code. We never ask your browser for your location.
Chapters
Founding chapters are forming now.
Every chapter starts with one host, a room, and at least three political perspectives. Be the first in your state.
Start a founding chapterUpcoming events
The first events will be founding dinners.
Hosts are being trained now. Join the list and we will tell you when one is near you.
Get notifiedThe Civic Pledge
Make the commitment. Keep it locally.
“We will defend lawful elections, checks and balances, civil liberties, due process, and the peaceful transfer of power, whether or not the outcome favors us.”
Founding members are affirming the pledge now.
Read and affirm the pledgeWhere we stand
Common Ground is independent of political parties, candidates, and campaigns. We welcome principled disagreement and hold every public actor to the same civic standards.