Analysis · August 2026
How much does America's common ground depend on shareholder democracy?
The Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland maintains the Common
Ground of the American People, a catalog of policy positions supported by majorities of both
Republicans and Democrats in its in-depth surveys. We scored all 255 cataloged positions on one scale
from 0 to 3. The score measures how far the outcome depends on owners voting their values to change
what companies do or what companies lobby for. The 52 positions shareholder democracy can reach are
listed below, ranked by the bipartisan floor, the smaller of the two party majorities. The other 203
positions belong to governments, courts, and voters alone; they are
counted in the key but not listed. These ratings are in beta. We are still refining the method, and we publish corrections based on feedback. Click any position for the rationale and its citations.
Independent
203 positions
Not a relevant lever; the outcome belongs to governments, aid, or households.
Helpful
18 positions
Owners voting their values help at the margin.
Necessary
20 positions
Owners voting their values remove an obstacle nothing else removes; others must also act.
Pivotal
14 positions
Owners voting their values can deliver most of the outcome.
Position · ranked by bipartisan floorSupport · dependency
1
Bar companies guilty of wage theft from federal contractsWages and workers
R 88% · D 92%
Pivotal
2
Cap U.S. drug prices based on prices in other developed countriesHealth care
R 90% · D 86%
Pivotal
3
Prohibit pornographic deepfakes made without the person's consentArtificial intelligence
R 85% · D 87%
Helpful
4
Require federal contractors to disclose political donationsCampaign finance
R 84% · D 89%
Pivotal
5
Keep tax credits for producing zero-emission clean energyEnergy and environment
R 84% · D 92%
Helpful
6
Keep tax credits for new energy-efficient commercial buildingsEnergy and environment
R 84% · D 94%
Helpful
7
Require labels on publicly distributed AI deepfakesArtificial intelligence
R 83% · D 85%
Necessary
8
Prohibit deepfakes in political campaign advertisementsArtificial intelligence
R 83% · D 86%
Necessary
9
Require corporations to disclose campaign spending to shareholders within 24 hoursCampaign finance
R 83% · D 88%
Pivotal
10
Keep tax credits of up to 30% for equipment that produces or stores clean energyEnergy and environment
R 83% · D 94%
Helpful
11
Keep tax credits of up to $3,000 for new energy-efficient homesEnergy and environment
R 83% · D 93%
Helpful
12
Constitutional amendment allowing limits on corporate and PAC election spendingCampaign finance
R 82% · D 85%
Necessary
13
Keep tax credits for energy-saving improvements to commercial buildingsEnergy and environment
R 81% · D 87%
Helpful
14
Let the government override patents on unaffordable, federally funded drugsHealth care
R 83% · D 78%
Necessary
15
Make hospital and insurer price transparency requirements permanentHealth care
R 78% · D 82%
Pivotal
16
Continue requiring insurance to cover birth controlBirth control and abortion
R 78% · D 94%
Necessary
17
Make pay-for-delay deals that block generic drugs illegalHealth care
R 79% · D 77%
Pivotal
18
Include enforceable labor standards in trade agreementsInternational trade
R 77% · D 90%
Helpful
19
Require pre-testing of AI systems that make high-impact decisions about peopleArtificial intelligence
R 76% · D 88%
Necessary
20
Keep tax credits of up to $1 a gallon for low-emission transportation fuelsEnergy and environment
R 76% · D 91%
Helpful
21
Tax hedge fund managers' carried interest as ordinary incomeFederal budget
R 75% · D 81%
Necessary
22
Let the federal government audit decision-making AI programs and require fixesArtificial intelligence
R 74% · D 82%
Necessary
23
Make reducing air pollution a high government priorityEnergy and environment
R 74% · D 95%
Necessary
24
Keep tax credits of up to 30% for installing public EV charging stationsEnergy and environment
R 73% · D 90%
Helpful
25
Include enforceable environmental standards in trade agreementsInternational trade
R 72% · D 86%
Helpful
26
Do not lower the corporate tax rateFederal budget
R 71% · D 81%
Pivotal
27
Keep tax credits of up to $4,000 for used electric vehicles for lower-income buyersEnergy and environment
R 71% · D 89%
Helpful
28
Keep tax credits of up to $7,500 for new electric vehicles for middle-income buyersEnergy and environment
R 69% · D 89%
Helpful
29
Require AI companies to disclose training data to the federal government on requestArtificial intelligence
R 67% · D 81%
Necessary
30
Adopt mandatory E-Verify together with more work visas as a packageImmigration
R 67% · D 85%
Necessary
31
Raise taxes on tobacco productsFederal budget
R 66% · D 80%
Necessary
32
Make reducing greenhouse gases a high government priorityEnergy and environment
R 66% · D 94%
Pivotal
33
Phase out HFCs with stricter regulations and gradual replacementEnergy and environment
R 66% · D 90%
Necessary
34
Reinstate net neutrality rules for internet service providersConsumer and internet
R 65% · D 82%
Pivotal
35
Require employers to verify work eligibility with E-VerifyImmigration
R 64% · D 74%
Necessary
36
Reduce the core defense budget by $10 billionFederal budget
R 61% · D 83%
Necessary
37
Require cars and trucks to get 20-30 percent better mileage by 2027Energy and environment
R 61% · D 81%
Pivotal
38
Create a national paid family and medical leave program of up to 12 weeksFamilies and children
R 61% · D 85%
Helpful
39
Deny tax deductions to large corporations owning 50 or more single-family homesHousing
R 61% · D 82%
Pivotal
40
Adopt the Clean Power Plan cutting power plant emissionsEnergy and environment
R 59% · D 93%
Necessary
41
Reduce subsidies to agricultural corporations by $1 billionFederal budget
R 58% · D 57%
Necessary
42
Give a 30% tax credit for first-of-its-kind clean energy technologyEnergy and environment
R 57% · D 83%
Helpful
43
Require utilities to get a minimum share of power from renewable energyEnergy and environment
R 56% · D 89%
Necessary
44
Require large corporations to sell off their single-family homes within ten yearsHousing
R 55% · D 81%
Necessary
45
Maintain or reduce, not expand, current levels of offshore oil drillingEnergy and environment
R 54% · D 84%
Pivotal
46
Raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hourWages and workers
R 53% · D 95%
Pivotal
47
Phase out land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles instead of replacing themNuclear weapons
R 53% · D 69%
Helpful
48
Give electric bus manufacturers a tax credit of 10% of the sales priceEnergy and environment
R 52% · D 84%
Helpful
49
Reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 2% a yearEnergy and environment
R 52% · D 89%
Necessary
50
Limit solitary confinement to safety or serious violations, capped at 30 consecutive daysCriminal justice - prison reform
R 71% · D 50%
Helpful
51
Reduce nuclear weapons program spending by $2 billionFederal budget
party split not published
Helpful
52
Do not expand oil and gas drilling on federal wildlife preservation landsEnergy and environment
party split not published
Pivotal
Position language and party support figures are from the Program for Public
Consultation (University of Maryland) and Voice of the People
(publicconsultation.org/commonground);
each position's dialog cites its study. The dependency ratings, rationales, and citations are
Shareholder Democracy Network analytical judgments, not PPC findings, and PPC is not affiliated with
the Shareholder Democracy Network.