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OUR FOCUS IS ON THE FACTS.

Our Mission

It's Just Common Sense.

CSI’s mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies, initiatives, and proposed laws so that citizens are educated and informed on issues impacting their lives. CSI employs rigorous research techniques and dynamic modeling to evaluate the potential impact of these measures on the economy and individual opportunity.
 

 

Our Impact

Common Sense Institute is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the economy. CSI is at the forefront of important discussions concerning the future of free enterprise and aims to have an impact on the issues that matter most.

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Research
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Banking & Finance
The Economic Impact of Restricting Interchange Fees in Iowa: An Analysis of Iowa’s HSB 324

Iowa’s HSB 324 would reduce a merchant’s interchange fees by about $0.004 on a $100 sale transacted with a debit card. For a credit card, CSI estimates merchants would save roughly $0.12 per $100 in sales.

Ballot Issues
Education Choice, Access & Transparency How a Proposal to Regulate Arizona’s K-12 Scholarship Program Would Impact the State’s Families

In 2011, Arizona lawmakers created the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provided eligible private- and home-school K-12 families with access to a portion of their state formula f

May 14, 2026 Glenn Farley
Infrastructure
Transportation Funding: Initiative 175 and HB26-1430

The condition of Colorado’s roads and bridges has long been central to debates over state transportation spending, and recent declines in infrastructure quality have prompted both a ballot initiative and an

Jobs & Our Economy
Inflation in Arizona April 2026 Update

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Phoenix metro area rose 3.0% year-over-year (YOY) in April due to rapidly rising energy prices (+22.9% YOY) as fallout from the conflict with Iran reaches official gov

May 12, 2026 Zachary Milne