ABOUT COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE

 

Founded in 2010, Common Sense Institute (CSI) is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of our economy. As a leading voice for free enterprise, CSI’s mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies and educate voters on issues that impact their lives.

CSI’s founders were a concerned group of business and community leaders who observed that divisive partisanship was overwhelming policy-making and believed that sound economic analysis could help people make fact-based and common sense decisions.

CSI has built a reputation as a credible, non-partisan resource. CSI’s quantitative analysis and research have played a critical role in public policy debates on a range of issues, with over 1,000 media hits in 2022, CSI is making a major impact in Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, and around the country.

 

Innovation is the Hallmark of State & Local Government

 

Innovation, thoughtful debate, and new ideas are the hallmark of state and local government.

In 1932, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis coined the phrase states are laboratories of democracy when he wrote “a single courageous State may if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” The truth is, since the founding of our nation, the flow of ideas – both bad and good – is the core of U.S. public policy and one of the greatest strengths of our federalist system.

Unfortunately, and all too often, members of the media and policymakers have placed their focus on national politics and federal initiatives. The result? Lack of analysis and scrutiny often means common sense policies fail and harmful policies become law to the detriment of the people. In fact, with increasing frequency, these ideas are planted at the state level for the express purpose of influencing national policy.

From housing to transportation and education to energy, policies born at the state and local levels have a profound effect on the lives of our citizens. It is up to us to ensure the effect is one which bolsters individual opportunity, supports economic vitality and embraces free enterprise.

The answer? Amplify policies and initiatives that promote and protect the economy, embrace the free enterprise system, and ensure individual opportunity. Arm policymakers, elected officials, and voters with the data and facts to ensure decisions and votes are informed. That is the mission of Common Sense Institute.

 

CSI Guiding Principles:

  1. FREE ENTERPRISE

    Common sense policies should govern market structures with minimal interference while promoting ideas to flourish through competition and protecting individual rights.

  2. ECONOMIC VITALITY

    Promote or create a foundation of thoughtful policies for economic vitality with a diversity of businesses to enhance the overall quality of life for all citizens.

  3. INDIVIDUAL OPPORTUNITY

    Enable opportunity for individuals and families to prosper and grow. We all should be afforded the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

  4. DYNAMIC RESEARCH

    Provide research that is based on fact and connects us through a diverse and dynamic economy. Policy changes can often have broad and long-term ripple effects. We utilize dynamic economic models, and other tools, to simulate economic impact scenarios across the economy.

  5. NON PARTISANSHIP

    We believe it is critical to work across the aisles on positive solutions to address our biggest challenges.