Questions people ask before they join

Is Common Ground a political party?

No. We are a civic membership coalition, not a party, a political action committee, a candidate committee, or an advocacy operation. We do not endorse candidates, spend on elections, or target voters.

Do I have to give up my party to join?

No. Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians, Greens, and people who prefer not to say are all members. The only requirement is the Civic Pledge.

What does it cost?

Membership is free today. Membership contribution options are coming soon.

Why do I have to write a "steelman" to post a response?

Because that is the whole point. Anyone can state their own view. Stating the strongest fair version of someone else's view is the civic skill we practice here. Responses without one are not published.

Who reviews responses?

Volunteer moderators. Every response is held for review before it appears. Moderators hide or remove content that breaks the standards (harassment, threats, personal information, spam), not content they disagree with. Every moderation action is logged.

Is my profile public?

Only if you turn it on. Public profiles are off by default and show only your display name, city and state, your political perspective if you chose to share it, and your bio. Your email and postal code are never shown.

Do you store my location?

We never ask your browser for your location. The state and ZIP fields on the events page only filter results. If you enter a postal code on your profile, it is used to suggest nearby chapters and is never displayed.

How do I start a chapter?

Use the "Start a chapter" form. You will need at least ten members across at least three political perspectives and agreement to the chapter standards. Applications are reviewed by staff.

What happens when an event is full?

You are placed on a waitlist automatically. If someone cancels, the earliest person on the waitlist is moved up and can see their status on their dashboard.

How do I report something?

Every story, event, chapter, and published response has a report button for signed-in members. Reports go to the moderation queue.