Introducing Americans Agree

From Thanksgiving tables to the halls of Congress, political polarization is reducing America to red and blue tribes in perpetual conflict. Social media amplifies every grievance. The loudest voices drown out nuance. And the prevailing narrative says, “We the People are hopelessly divided.”

Except we’re not.

The other reality

Americans agree on more than you think. Even within highly polarized topics, there are specific positions that attract clear majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike.

For example…

Background checks

More than 80% of both Republicans and Democrats say a background check should be mandatory for purchasing any gun. As of 2024, only 17 states had a universal background check law. The federal government and other states had looser policies that required background checks in some situations but not others.

Photo ID for voting

More than two-thirds across all parties say a photo ID should be required to vote. But as of the 2024 election season, only 25 states required it.

Medical aid to countries in need

More than 75% of Democrats and Republicans say the United States should supply medicine and medical supplies to countries in need. But many of the programs that do this were cut in March 2025.

And much more

There are dozens more points of agreement, across a variety of topics. If you scan the list, you’ll see that most points have well more than our minimum threshold of 55% agreement by each party—the average is 75%!

When people see this, they are surprised at how much agreement exists. Yet when they look at the items one by one, most people find most items to be sensible—after all, that’s why there is 75% agreement. The problem is, until people see it, the assumption is that agreement doesn’t exist.

Expanding our field of view

In that spirit, what if We the People could expand our field of view, to see not just the conflicts but the common ground?

Americans Agree is a nonpartisan project that helps do exactly that. The project tracks and analyzes what Americans agree on politically, across party lines.

• Poll Results is a list that shows where Democrats, Republicans and Independents align. It’s meant to be quickly scrolled-through as an overview of how varied and extensive agreement is.

• Insights are articles about under-reported points of agreement, and in some cases, bipartisan actions being taken on them.

The project has no commercial or partisan agenda. The only goal is to restore a healthier balance between what divides us and what unites us.

What you’ll find

Americans Agree serves different audiences in different ways:

• Policymakers and policy advocates will find opportunities to work with—rather than always against—colleagues across the aisle.

• Voices on traditional and social media will find fresh angles that challenge partisan assumptions and framings.

• And everyday citizens will find extensive evidence that Americans can agree, and can solve problems, across party lines.

The common thread is helping Americans see and act on common ground despite other differences.

Why now

In developing this project, I was asked, “Is now really the time to go looking for common ground, when the other side has gone totally crazy?!?” As befits our current era, I heard this from people both on the left and the right.

My takeaway: If each side has given up on the other, then it’s time to try something new—because, folks, whatever’s been collectively done about polarization for the last how-many-years is not working.

As important: Do you know what happens when people start looking through the many points on which Americans agree? The “other side” looks less crazy, at least for those agreement points, and the lost-cause cynicism starts to crack. 

The lesson: Polarization thrives when we only see conflict, and it weakens when we remember we’re still, fundamentally, one people trying to solve shared problems.

Explore and connect

The next step is yours. I invite you to:

• Explore the Poll Results. See if you agree with the points on which most Americans agree.

• Read the Insight article Lessons from a Bipartisan Abortion Bill. It’s an example of a particular point of agreement that led to action.

• Share anything that inspires you (buttons and links are near shareable items).

• Subscribe to our email newsletter, “Where We Agree.” Every few weeks, you’ll get a summary of what’s new in agreement. An edition will typically have a short spotlight on a particular topic, plus brief comments and pointers about recent poll results and noteworthy finds from across the web.

• If you’re on X, Bluesky, Threads, or Instagram you can follow us there—see “Follow on social” at the bottom of this page. Posts are like what’s on our Recent page, except for Instagram, which has a more limited set of image posts.

Thanks for taking the time to consider a different way of looking at American politics.