CommonSense American

10/30/2026

NICD has partnered with Faith in America to invite Americans everywhere to share their commitment to free, fair and safe elections.

Faith in America is sponsoring the Praying for America event, which brings people of many faiths together online for a national prayer service. There will be no political speeches and no partisan finger-pointing, only a shared celebration of the values that hold us together, including the right to vote and honoring the will of the people.

Join us on Sunday, November 1 @ 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Free and online
Register: https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/

10/28/2026

Trust in our elections is being eroded. Disinformation spreads faster than truth. The threat of political violence is real.
Staying silent isn't the answer. Shouting louder isn't either.

Faith in America offers another way: prayer, courage, and respect across our differences. It brings together Americans of all religious and political beliefs who share one commitment: elections that are free, fair, and safe for everyone.

Join us on Sunday, November 1 @ 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Free and online
Register here: https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/

10/26/2026

America’s leading faith-based civic organizations have come together to champion free, fair and safe elections - and we’re inviting Americans of all religious and political beliefs to join in!

Join us this Sunday, Nov. 1st 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
Register: https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/ -prayer-event

10/23/2026

NICD has partnered with Faith in America to invite Americans everywhere to share their commitment to free, fair and safe elections. Listen to our own Thom Little, NICD's Next Generation Program Director, speak about why he's committed to elections that honor the will of the people.

Additionally, Faith in America is sponsoring the Praying for America event, which brings people of many faiths together online for a national prayer service. There will be no political speeches and no partisan finger-pointing, only a shared celebration of the values that hold us together, including the right to vote and honoring the will of the people.
Join us on Sunday, November 1 @ 4pm ET / 1pm PT
Free and online
Register: https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/ -prayer-event

10/21/2026

Time is running out! Apply to be a Congressional Engagement Intern today. We'd love to work with you! Apply here: https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/intern-application/

Are you a student or young professional interested in working in DC and helping build the nation's capacity to engage our differences more constructively? Apply to serve as a Congressional Engagement Intern with the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Submit your application by Friday, October 23rd for priority consideration. https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/intern-application/

10/21/2026

What if, for one afternoon, we stopped arguing about the election and prayed for our country instead?

Praying for America brings people of many faiths together online for a national prayer service. There will be no political speeches and no partisan finger-pointing, only a shared celebration of the values that hold us together, including the right to vote and honoring the will of the people.

Sunday, November 1� 4pm ET / 1pm PT�
Free and online
Register: https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/ -prayer-event�

10/19/2026

“These lines are not partisan; they are American.”

As Election Day nears, faith and civic leaders from across the country have signed a pledge to protect free, fair, and safe elections, whoever they’re voting for.

We’re proud that our own Cheryl Graeve is one of the co-signers of this pledge that was published in The Fulcrum. She is director of national programs, Engaging Differences, and Golden Rule 2020 at the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

The pledge names nine lines that no candidate, party, official, or citizen should cross. Here are a few of them:
* Only lawfully cast ballots are counted, with observers present as the law allows
* Courts settle disputes, and rules don’t change mid-count
* Officials certify results on the legal schedule
* No one is threatened or harmed for voting, working an election, observing it, or accepting its result

That’s the kind of citizenship NICD stands for. Read the full pledge and share it with someone who votes differently than you do: https://thefulcrum.us/elections/holding-the-lines-protect-every-voter-election

Faith and civic leaders unite to defend the rules that safeguard every lawful vote

10/16/2026

Meet our fantastic new Congressional Engagement Intern, Santiago Preciado!

Santiago is a graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University, pursuing a dual master's degree in International Law and International Affairs. A licensed lawyer in Colombia, he plans to build a career in international cooperation and public diplomacy. He was drawn to NICD's mission of fostering effective engagement between political parties and advocating for the needs of the American people. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with friends, DJing, and reading.

Apply to serve as a Congressional Engagement Intern with the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Submit your application by Friday, October 23rd for priority consideration. https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/intern-application/

10/15/2026

Are primary elections to blame for polarization in Congress? A new book from NICD Director of Research Robert Boatright: "The Problem With Primary Voters" takes a close look at that question and what changes to primary laws might actually do.

Here's what he found:
* Primary turnout is low, and the people who vote in primaries don’t look like the population as a whole.
* Very few people vote in primaries consistently, so the primary electorate changes from one election to the next.
* That makes it hard for lawmakers to respond to voters, even to voters in their own party.

The book’s proposal is to hold all primaries on the same day. That could raise turnout enough to make primary voters more representative of the country.

It’s a timely read for anyone who cares about making Congress work better.
https://www.pennpress.org/9781512829747/the-problem-with-primary-voters/

10/14/2026

Introducing one of our outstanding fall interns, Kavon Burley!

Kavon is a graduating senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Economics. His interest in bridging the divide between Republicans and Democrats is what drew him toward NICD’s mission. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, writing, and going to the movies.

Just 10 days left to apply for priority consideration! Students and young professionals: join NICD in DC as a Congressional Engagement Intern and help the country engage its differences more constructively. Apply by Fri., Oct. 23.
Link to apply: https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/intern-application/

10/09/2026

From Arizona to Tennessee, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to know what CommonSense Americans think about immigration.

We met again with Senator Hagerty's team to share what our members told us in our immigration brief. CommonSense American President Keith Allred shares what we learned.

Haven't weighed in yet? Take the brief and make your voice count! https://tinyurl.com/3hbr7cyn

10/06/2026

Are you a student or young professional interested in working in DC and helping build the nation's capacity to engage our differences more constructively? Apply to serve as a Congressional Engagement Intern with CommonSense American. Submit your application by Friday, October 23rd for priority consideration. https://civildiscourseinstitute.org/intern-application/

09/30/2026

Today, Senator Mark Kelly (AZ) heard what CommonSense Americans think about immigration. Watch his response then take the immigration brief and make your voice count.
Immigration brief link: https://tinyurl.com/tscepthe

09/22/2026

Last Friday was a big day for CommonSense American! Our team split up to brief two congressional offices on our immigration polling results. In Nashville, CSA President Keith Allred — joined by former TN House Speaker Beth Harwell, TN State Ambassador Bill Andrews, and several Tennessee CSA members — briefed Senator Bill Hagerty face-to-face. He was impressed by the results and even pitched a few immigration reform ideas he'd like CSA to poll on; we're already scheduling follow-ups with his staff.

Meanwhile, Director of Public Policy Erin Guetzloe and Georgia State Ambassador Pam Klomp briefed staff from Senator Warnock's office, who were highly engaged and said the results will help inform the Senator's approach to future immigration reform.

We're grateful for these chances to bring more voices to Capitol Hill — and we're booking more briefings now. Make sure yours is included: complete the brief today! https://tinyurl.com/tscepthe

09/14/2026

Today, CommonSense American briefed Senator Wyden's senior immigration policy advisor on the results of our immigration brief. Our DC team went in person to Capitol Hill for this meeting and were joined over Zoom by our incredible Oregon Ambassador Allen and several other CSA members.

The staffer we met with was impressed by the level of detail in the brief. She said Senator Wyden continues to believe that bipartisan immigration reform is possible. She said with the right opening (like the strong grassroots consensus on immigration our results show) he is eager to take action.

Watch the video for more details on the meeting from CSA President Keith Allred.

The more people who take the brief, the more robust our results become. Take the brief today and make sure your voice is heard in our next congressional briefing! https://bit.ly/3USXAbE

09/11/2026

Today, CSA remembers the nearly 3,000 lives lost 25 years ago on September 11th. We honor the bravery of the first responders and emergency workers who put their lives on the line to save others. We also recognize the New Yorkers who came together in the aftermath of this tragedy to shape what would rise from Ground Zero.

May we never forget the tragedy of 9/11. May we also remember the resilience of New Yorkers, and of the whole nation, who found strength, unity, and common purpose to move forward after unimaginable loss.

09/08/2026

Last week, CommonSense American President Keith Allred presented the results from our Immigration Policy Brief to Senator Cantwell’s office. He was joined by our amazing Washington Ambassadors Deanna and Debra, as well as several other Washington CSA members who listened in over Zoom.

The staffers we met with were very excited by our Immigration Brief and its results, which show far more agreement among everyday Americans on immigration than you'd expect. They even stayed overtime to discuss the impact these results could have on immigration reform and to answer questions from our members. They noted that while immigration is one of the most challenging policy issues today, our results are a powerful reminder that the questions facing policymakers are not unanswerable.

We want to take your thoughts on immigration to Congress, too! Weigh in on our brief at this link: https://bit.ly/4yqvaEy

09/03/2026

Earlier this week, we had a great meeting with Senator Katie Britt's office! CSA President Keith Allred shared results from our Immigration Policy Brief, revealing Americans' views on a wide variety of potential immigration reforms. Watch the video below for a special post-meeting debrief from Keith!

The staffer we met with was eager to hear our results, and he noted that some of our findings would definitely be of interest to the Senator. We were glad to bring the commonsense views on immigration of our Alabama members, as well as our national CSA membership, to Senator Britt.

Want to make sure your views are represented in our next congressional briefing? Weigh in on the Immigration Policy Brief as soon as you can: https://bit.ly/4gP5fyS

09/02/2026

CommonSense American is thrilled to announce that we've already received over 1,000 responses to our Immigration Policy Brief! This means we've reached enough responses to hit the ground running on our congressional outreach.

We're starting to share our results with congressional offices, but don't worry if you haven't weighed in yet! Our results automatically update with every new response. If you complete the brief now, your thoughts on immigration will still be shared with Congress.

Review the Immigration Policy Brief as soon as you can to ensure your voice is represented in our results. Congress is waiting to hear your views!

Click here to complete the brief: https://bit.ly/4qNMQXO

08/25/2026

CommonSense American President Keith Allred was recently featured on the Congressional Communities podcast, which facilitates conversations about ways the current representative system is falling short and what's being done to strengthen it. In his conversation with co-hosts Alex Clark and Dan Carracino, Keith shared more about what CSA does and what we're working on right now. Keith was grateful for the opportunity to share more about the critical work CSA is doing to help bring common sense from everyday Americans to Congress.

If you're interested in hearing the full conversation, you can click one of the links below to tune in on your preferred podcast platform.

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LdwPfzocc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qEkTcJVPV4sebkRGTcIFo
Apple Music:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-silent-majority-isnt-who-you-think/id6797884561?i=1000785779897

What if the loudest voices in Washington don't actually represent w...