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Common Ground Solutions

Partisanship is at an all-time high, and it's holding our nation back. On issues like health care, immigration, debt, and taxes, our political discourse has become so divisive that we cannot find the path to compromise and agreement. But there must be a place in the middle where we can meet, work together, and get something done to improve the lives of Americans. Common Ground Solutions has big goals: to increase civic engagement; improve the quality of political discourse; highlight real-world stories of people working together across political lines; and forge moderate, commonsense solutions to our biggest challenges. We believe that the power to govern is not a prize to be won, but a responsibility to be used wisely and preserved for generations to come. The first step toward fulfilling that responsibility is finding common ground.

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Varying speech bubbles.​ Dialogue. Conversations.

Examining the 2025 episodes that challenged democratic institutions and highlighted the stakes for truth, accountability, and responsible public leadership.

Getty Images, DrAfter123

Why I Was ‘Diagnosed’ With Trump Derangement Syndrome

After a year spent writing columns about President Donald Trump, a leader who seems intent on testing every norm, value, and standard of decency that supports our democracy, I finally did what any responsible citizen might do: I went to the doctor to see if I had "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

I told my doctor about my symptoms: constant worry about cruelty in public life, repeated anger at attacks on democratic institutions, and deep anxiety over leaders who treat Americans as props or enemies. After running tests, he gave me his diagnosis with a straight face: "You are, indeed, highly focused on abnormal behavior. But standing up for what is right is excellent for your health and essential for the health of the country."

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Empty jury seats in a courtroom.

From courtrooms to redistricting, citizen panels prove impartial judgment is still possible in American democracy.

Getty Images, Mint Images

How Juries and Citizen Commissions Strengthen Democracy

In the ongoing attacks on democracy in 2025, juries and judges played a key role in maintaining normal standards of civil rights. As it turns out, they have something important to teach us about democracy reform as well.

The Power of Random Selection

Juries are an interesting feature of the American legal system. They are assemblies of men and women picked at random, who come together on a one-time basis to perform a key role: rendering an independent judgment in a trial or indictment proceeding. Once they're done, they are free to go home.

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Social Security card, treasury check and $100 bills
In swing states, both parties agree on ideas to save Social Security
JJ Gouin/Getty Images

Social Security Still Works, but Its Future Is Up to Us

Like many people over 60 and thinking seriously about retirement, I’ve been paying closer attention to Social Security, and recent changes have made me concerned.

Since its creation during the Great Depression, Social Security has been one of the most successful federal programs in U.S. history. It has survived wars, recessions, demographic change, and repeated ideological attacks, yet it continues to do what it was designed to do: provide a basic floor of income security for older Americans. Before Social Security, old age often meant poverty, dependence on family, or institutionalization. After its adoption, a decent retirement became achievable for millions.

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