How We’re Different

1) Focused on principles.

The Common Sense Party is focused on principles, not a set of rigid policy prescriptions dictated by some national headquarters. We welcome policy positions based on facts, not ideology. We recognize that no one has a monopoly on good ideas and that people can disagree on some things but still find common ground on others. We believe compromise is good, not a sell-out of principle.

2) Free speech is the bedrock of our democracy, and we’re here to uphold it.

Both major parties are harming our culture of open debate and mutual toleration by banning legal forms of speech and perceiving the other side as the enemy that needs to be eliminated. We must cherish civil liberty and promote bipartisan dialogue and compromise. Fearless pursuit of truth can only be done through a robust discussion.

3) We’re the party for those who aren’t being served by the duopoly.

We know that everyday Californians feel helpless and do not feel their representatives are serving them. We want to change this and make sure our candidates listen to you, not special interests or party establishment. Our goal is to represent the largest bloc of Californians who want the government to address problems in a responsible way.

4) We follow the rule of law, adhere to political norms, and respect the Constitution.

It has become commonplace for politicians to break valuable political norms and even the law in seeking power. Examples of abuse are gerrymandering (strategic redistricting), excessive use of filibusters, and lying about their opponent via unaccountable Super PACs. We believe in transparency of all funders and making all votes count. We will only support candidates and politicians with a track record of integrity.

5) We take a bottom-up leadership approach.

We empower leaders to find solutions that work in their communities. We won’t dictate a rigid, top-down policy platform and expect it to work for all Americans. Our state leadership only sets principles and values, which serve as a guide for candidates’ decision-making process. We seek to put people in office who will be driven by facts, will work across partisan divides, and will be open to principled compromise.

6) We support candidates of all parties that uphold our principles.

In races where we do not have a Common Sense candidate, we are committed to supporting common-sense Democrats, common-sense Republicans, common-sense candidates of smaller parties, and common-sense candidates unaffiliated with any political party — so long as the candidate thinks for herself or himself and upholds our values.