The Federal government is failing to address numerous problems, and this failure is largely due to increasing partisan polarization resulting in government gridlock. Some leaders say that this polarization is due to a lack of common ground among the people. To find out if common ground exists among the public, Program for Public Consultation (PPC) at the University of Maryland has partnered with Voice of the People (VOP) to analyze and disseminate the findings of this major multi-year study of public views of federal policy issues.
The Common Ground of the American People project is developed using online public consultation surveys, in which respondents receive briefings on key policy proposals and evaluate pro and con arguments for each, only then making their recommendations. Expert opponents and proponents of each policy review the content of the surveys, ensuring that the briefings are accurate and balanced, and the arguments are the strongest possible. As a result, the support these policies elicit is resilient and not likely to fade when voters hear a counter argument.
Each PPC survey was fielded with large representative samples of Americans of 2,000 or more provided by Nielsen Scarborough’s probability-based panel, with nearly 100,000 Americans surveyed total. Other surveys included in the analysis are derived from the “deliberative polls” conducted by Jim Fishkin and the Deliberative Democracy Lab (DDL) at Stanford University.
The Common Ground of the American People has revealed more than 200 policy positions – from a wide array of policy areas – that elicit support from majorities of both Republicans and Democrats. An additional 23 proposals elicit majority support from the general public and one party, with the other party finding the idea tolerable or not opposing it. Throughout the site, these proposals are presented with a bronze medallion.
The Common Ground of the American People offers government officials a path forward for solving problems in a wide range of issue areas:
Criminal Justice
Health Care
Federal Issues
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- The Federal Budget
- Government & Elections
- Low Income Assistance
- Net Neutrality
- Social Security
- U.S. Postal Service
International Issues