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IT'S TIME TO WEIGH IN

The Brief on Career-Connected Learning is Ready For You!

Only members of CommonSense American can weigh in on the policy briefs.

TOGETHER, WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

CommonSense American has hit home runs on each of our first three issues: surprise medical billing, physical infrastructure, and election reform. Members of Congress have praised our role in advancing these important bills. What's truly remarkable is that our success has been made possible by everyday Americans from all corners of the country and political spectrum, who have been joining our cause at an unprecedented rate. We believe that the American people can be the nation's saving grace - we are far more united on policy issues than the media and politicians would have us believe. Our hunger for a different kind of politics, one that fosters practical solutions and attracts support across party lines, is what drives us forward.

Membership

81275
Total Members

Balanced Geographically

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Balanced Politically

WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW

It's time to weigh in!

We need the help of everyday Americans to identify issues where there are both meaningful solutions and good prospects for bipartisan action.

1. IDENTIFY ISSUES

Our Members identify solutions with the greatest promise of attracting broad, cross-partisan support.

These issues fall into two categories including substantive issues (such as healthcare, the debt and deficit, and immigration) and democratic reform issues (such as election reform and the partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts).

2. DEVELOP BRIEFS

Our staff develops a thorough policy brief on each issue.

These are policy briefs, not position papers.  Our staff doesn’t draw conclusions about what the right answers are, but works hard to make the strongest case for each competing perspective.

3. WEIGH IN

Each member reviews the brief to which they’ve been randomly assigned and weighs in on the policy questions.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

WEIGH IN

4. SHARE YOUR OWN VIEWS

Each member shares their own views with their members of Congress.

We don’t take policy positions as an organization.  Instead, we follow the principle of Loyalty to Conscience.  Each member shares their own views whatever those views are.  This provides a reflection of what Americans–Republicans, Democrats, and independents–think having had a chance to review a non-partisan brief.

SELECTED ISSUES

Our Members identified CommonSense Solutions from the competing perspectives presented in the brief.

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CAREER-CONNECTED LEARNING

Read Brief and Weigh InRead Brief and Weigh In

2022 Briefing

ELECTIONS

View Results
Infrastructure Brief

2021 Briefing

INFRASTRUCTURE

View Results
Healthcare

2019 Briefing

SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLING

View Results
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress

2019-20 Briefing

CONGRESSIONAL REFORM

View Results

Ready to Take Action?

Only members of CommonSense American can help select issues and weigh in on the policy briefs. If you are not yet a member of CommonSense American, please join. If you’re already a member, you will be assigned a policy brief in the future to review and then share your opinion.

Weigh In

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose what issues to work on?

Each year we develop a “Top 10 Bipartisan Issues” list. We do that by interviewing Members of Congress and the White House about the most meaningful issues they see as ripe for bipartisan action. CommonSense Americans also have an opportunity to suggest issues. Our members then rate how promising each issue on the Top 10 list is. We develop a brief on the issue rated most highly.

How does CommonSense American develop the briefs?

We engage with think tanks, policy experts, and elected officials on the chosen topics. Then, we spend hundreds of hours reading hundreds of pages of proposed legislation, research, and commentary to provide our members with the most relevant information to form their own opinions. The most crucial part of each brief is that we make the strongest case for and against each proposal described. We also ask key voices on the issue to review drafts of the brief to make sure all perspectives are fairly represented. At CommonSense American, we don’t put our thumb on the scale. We provide you with valid information then you tell us what you think the right answer is, we don’t tell you.

How do members evaluate the policy proposals described in the issue briefs?

After reviewing the policy brief, members answer survey questions about whether they support or oppose each proposal described. Members also answer an open-ended question about what they would like to say to their Members of Congress on the topic.

What will CommonSense American do with member results?

We share the results by conducting dozens of congressional briefings and releasing them to the press. To a remarkable degree, Congress really listens to what our members think, resulting in our 3-for-3 record.

Ready to Take Action?

Only members of CommonSense American can help select issues and weigh in on the policy briefs. If you are not yet a member of CommonSense American, please join.