Why We Built This
Americans are not as divided as they feel. But powerful forces profit from making you believe otherwise — and that belief has consequences for all of us.
The 80% Nobody Talks About
Most Americans — across party lines — share the same fundamental values: they want safe neighborhoods, good schools, fair rules, and a better future for their children. Research from Pew, Gallup, AP-NORC, and dozens of universities confirms it repeatedly.
Yet the average American vastly overestimates how much they disagree with their neighbors. That gap between reality and perception is not accidental. It is manufactured.
We Agree More exists to show you the reality — not the manufactured story. Every item on our list of 20 shared values is backed by research and links directly to its source.
Division Is a Business Model
Keeping Americans angry is incredibly profitable. Unity is not. Here is who benefits from each.
Who Profits from Division
Cable news and digital outlets have discovered that outrage is the most reliable driver of ratings, clicks, and adver...
Read full analysis →Social media platforms are engineered to maximize time on screen. Peer-reviewed research proves that emotionally prov...
Read full analysis →Fundraising operations on both sides of the aisle have perfected the art of fear-based appeals. The emails, texts, an...
Read full analysis →Governments in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and elsewhere have identified American polarization as a strategic vulnerabil...
Read full analysis →Who Benefits from Unity
When neighbors trust each other, communities thrive, crime drops, and local economies grow.
Social trust is the foundation of commerce — people buy from and hire people they trust.
Children raised in high-trust environments show better health, education, and life outcomes.
Self-governance requires citizens who can disagree without viewing each other as enemies.
Division generates billions in profit.
Unity generates a functioning country.
The next time something makes you angry at your fellow Americans, ask: who is making money from this feeling?
The Four Forces Pulling Us Apart
Understanding the forces that profit from polarization is the first step to seeing through them.
Outrage Media
$7.5B/yrCable news and digital outlets have discovered that outrage is the most reliable driver of ratings, clicks, and advertising revenue. The angrier you feel, the more profitable you become.
Read the Full Analysis →Engagement Algorithms
$150B/yrSocial media platforms are engineered to maximize time on screen. Peer-reviewed research proves that emotionally provocative content — especially moral outrage — spreads faster, travels further, and holds attention longer than anything else.
Read the Full Analysis →Political Fundraising Machine
$14B+Fundraising operations on both sides of the aisle have perfected the art of fear-based appeals. The emails, texts, and ads that raise the most money are not the ones that inform — they are the ones that terrify.
Read the Full Analysis →Adversary Nations
State-fundedGovernments in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and elsewhere have identified American polarization as a strategic vulnerability to be exploited. Their campaigns do not favor one side — they inflame both, because the goal is not to change what Americans think, but to make Americans stop trusting each other entirely.
Read the Full Analysis →When Americans Fight Each Other, Adversary Nations Win
This is not a metaphor. It is documented strategy. Governments in Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran have identified American polarization as a strategic vulnerability to be exploited. Their campaigns do not favor one side — they inflame both, because the goal is not to change what Americans think, but to make Americans stop trusting each other entirely.
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed that foreign operations simultaneously promoted both sides of American divisions — organizing opposing rallies in the same city, on the same day. Every fracture in American civic trust is a strategic win for adversaries who never had to fire a single shot.
Read the Full Analysis →Every time you dismiss a fellow citizen as the enemy, you are doing the work of someone who would rather see this country weakened than united. Disagreement is patriotic. Contempt is a gift to our adversaries.
What Citizens Can Do
Recognizing our common ground is not naive — it is powerful. Here is how ordinary Americans are reclaiming the narrative.
Talk Across Lines
Have a real conversation with someone you disagree with. Research shows one-on-one conversations dramatically reduce polarization.
Seek Primary Sources
Before sharing outrage content, find the original source. Most alarming stories look very different in context.
Share Common Ground
When you share our list or any evidence of unity, you actively counter the narrative of division. It adds up.
The Common Ground — Every Value Sourced
Help Us Spread Common Ground
This project needs your support to reach more Americans. No corporate funding. No partisan agenda. Just citizens helping citizens see the bigger picture.
Support This Mission