The Commons Group is a non–partisan health policy think tank dedicated to ensuring that the voice of the common person is represented in meaningful policy change. Too often, everyday communities are excluded from meaningful participation in shaping decisions that directly affect their lives. By connecting emerging leaders with policymakers, we strive to make policy more accessible, equitable, and responsive to the people it serves.
Welcome from the Directors
We want to close the distance between everyday communities and the decisions that shape their lives by producing actionable policy work, grounded in evidence and community reality.
Partner with The Commons Group
Work with a focused team to produce rigorous, non-partisan policy briefs built for policymakers, stakeholders, and real implementation. Bring us a question; we’ll bring the research, structure, and deliverables.
Who We Are
The Commons Group is led by emerging policy leaders and supported by an advisory network of faculty, professionals, and policy experts.
Our Ethos and Approach
Our work spans the full policy pipeline including issue identification, research, stakeholder engagement, drafting, and dissemination. We select projects that are locally relevant and broadly impactful, pairing policy analysis with civil service initiatives that keep our work grounded in community needs.
Projects We Focus On
1) Policy Briefs
We take policy areas that are of interest locally or nationally and develop a full write-up to translate data and research into actionable recommendations. Each brief is curated specifically for our partners, all grounded in evidence and informed by real community needs.
2) Informative Articles
Our articles break down complex health policy issues into accessible, well-researched analyses. Written for both policy audiences and the public, they aim to inform, contextualize, and elevate thoughtful discussion around today’s most pressing health system challenges.
3) Community Engagements
We work directly with communities to understand lived experiences that policy often overlooks. Through service initiatives, partnerships, and dialogue, we ensure that community voices meaningfully inform our research and policy recommendations.
Recent Highlights
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Reconsidering ACA §6001 Modernizing Physician-Owned Hospital Policy
A narrow-but-deep comparative memo on prices, quality, access, workforce, and referral integrity. Read the full brief here.
The Commons Group 