NOVEMBER 2025
ISSUE #29
Turkey Talk: Common Ground for Thanksgiving
If you’re looking for safe territory at the Thanksgiving table, the Common Ground of the American People list (CGOAP) offers a surprisingly sturdy map. The list identifies more than 200 federal policies – current and proposed – that win majority support from both Democrats and Republicans.
A few examples of bipartisan consensus from the CGOAP list:
- 78% of Americans favor capping drug prices to what is charged in other developed countries. (Republicans 75%, Democrats 87%)
- 81% favor requiring new AI programs that make decisions that significantly impact people’s lives to pass a government-run test before they can be deployed. (Republicans 76%, Democrats 88%)
- 90% favor providing discounts on fruit and vegetables purchased using SNAP benefits. (Republicans 86%, Democrats 93%)
- 80% favor providing immigrants who were brought to the US illegally as children an opportunity to apply for legal status and eventually citizenship. (Republicans 69%, Democrats 92%)
Whether your goal this holiday is keeping the peace or sparking a constructive conversation, the research shows there’s more shared ground than what is shown on the news or our social media. The CGOAP list is designed to make that common ground visible, but perhaps it will even help dinner feel a little less like a debate stage.
Braver Angels Launches Citizen-Led Solutions Initiative
Braver Angels has introduced a new national program aimed at strengthening civic resilience by empowering everyday Americans to lead cross-partisan action in their own communities. The Citizen-Led Solutions initiative provides residents with practical tools and structured support to convene dialogues, build shared understanding, and collaborate on issues that cut across political lines. More details: https://braverangels.org/announcement-on-citizen-led-solutions/
Ipsos Survey Highlights Public Concern Over Democratic Performance
A new international survey from Ipsos reports that confidence in the functioning of democracy remains low in eight of nine countries where the survey was conducted. Sweden reports the highest levels of satisfaction with democracy (65%). A majority (53%) of respondents from the United States reported they were dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the country. Other countries surveyed included Poland (30% dissatisfied), Netherlands (37% dissatisfied); Spain (51% dissatisfied); UK (51% dissatisfied); Italy (49% dissatisfied); France (60% dissatisfied); and Croatia (48% dissatisfied).
A New Global Playbook for Parliamentary Engagement
International IDEA and the Inter Pares project have released a suite of eight guides designed to help parliaments rebuild trust by strengthening citizen engagement. The series offers practical frameworks for everything from public consultations and deliberative assemblies to youth partnerships and inclusive outreach. Together, the guides outline a modern playbook for bringing citizens into legislative decision-making and ensuring that public voice informs policy in a meaningful, sustained way.
The guides also highlight lessons from parliaments around the world that are rethinking how they connect with constituents, from opening physical spaces to introducing new models for dialogue and petitions. For institutions working to counter declining trust, the series provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap for embedding consultation into everyday governance.
Read more: https://www.idea.int/blog/new-playbook-eight-ways-parliaments-can-rebuild-trust-through-citizen-engagement
Americans Support SNAP Funding
| Many of the provisions in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) were at odds with what the majority of Americans want, including the significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as “food stamps.” A July 2025 poll from The Wall Street Journal asked people specifically about reducing SNAP spending by $186 billion and found 56% opposed. When given the chance to choose a level of spending on food assistance (within a more comprehensive budget-creation survey) a July 2025 survey by the Program for Public Consultation (PPC) found majorities of both Republicans (51%) and Democrats (72%) keeping spending the same or increasing it. When asked specifically whether spending on SNAP should be more, less or the same, a survey by The Economist found 72% increasing or keeping it the same (Republicans 55%, Democrats 91%) While majorities have opposed cutting spending in general, one of the primary methods for reducing spending on SNAP in the OBBB has shown some higher support – tightening work requirements. In the Wall Street Journal survey, a sample of respondents was asked whether they would support cutting SNAP by $186 billion by “tightening work requirements for able-bodied adults and shifting costs to states.” Support was higher than when asked just about reducing funding without any mechanisms to do so, but Americans were still divided 49-49%. Further, when people are informed of the likely effects of increasing work requirements – more spending on bureaucracy and working people unintentionally losing benefits – support drops substantially. A February 2025 KFF survey found a majority of 62% in support of work requirements for Medicaid without information, but just a third in favor when provided the above information.Surveys have also found that, when informed of average monthly benefits, large and bipartisan majorities choose to increase them for individuals without children and single parents. (PPC 2025 and 2017) |