Ohio Common Ground

The OCG Research Center

Access our comprehensive, non-partisan database of policy research, legislative tracking, and community-driven data models. Built to empower Ohioans with facts first.

Enter Research Center
Interactive Data

Explore visual charts, demographic trends, and interactive data models on key Ohio issues.

Original Sources

Verify claims with direct access to primary documents, legislative texts, and raw datasets.

Unbiased Analysis

Read clear, objective breakdowns of complex policies without the political spin.

Ohio Common Ground Research Center

Better Information.
Better Decisions.

Most citizens are overwhelmed by information and underwhelmed by trust.

Attention

News organizations compete for attention.

Power

Political parties compete for power.

Influence

Interest groups compete for influence.

Ordinary voters are left trying to sort through competing claims, conflicting statistics, and endless spin.

Ohio Common Ground is building a Research Center designed to help members make informed decisions based on evidence, original sources, and transparent methodology.

Our Goal is Simple:

Help Ohioans understand issues before asking them to take positions on them.

The Concept

What It Will Be

The Ohio Common Ground Research Center will serve as a growing library of research, analysis, data, and public information focused on issues that matter to Ohio voters.

Rather than telling members what to think, we will help them evaluate claims for themselves and make decisions with confidence.

We will help members:

Understand issues
Explore tradeoffs
Review evidence
Compare viewpoints
Access original sources
Evaluate claims for themselves
Capabilities

Planned Features

A comprehensive suite of tools and resources designed to empower Ohio citizens.

Issue Briefing Center

Plain-English summaries of important Ohio issues like Property Taxes, Housing Affordability, Education, Healthcare, and Energy Policy.

Each briefing includes:

Key facts, major arguments, tradeoffs, supporting data, and source documents.

Ohio Data Center

A searchable collection of public data relevant to Ohio citizens, including state budget, tax collections, education spending, and election results.

Direct Exploration:

Explore the data directly rather than relying solely on media interpretation.

Official Profiles

View information about the officials who represent you, including office held, district maps, committee assignments, and voting records.

Personalized View:

A personalized view of the elected officials representing each member (suggested by Josh McMullen).

Legislative Tracking

Track bills moving through the Ohio General Assembly. Follow legislation, understand bill summaries, and monitor legislative progress.

Member Actions:

Review supporting documents, see sponsor information, and track progress.

Accountability Scorecards

Scorecards built on transparent and publicly available criteria. Review methodology, sources, scoring standards, and supporting evidence.

Our Rule:

No official should ever be scored using unpublished criteria.

Polling & Surveys

Statewide polling, member surveys, issue rankings, and trend analysis. Methodology and sample information will always be publicly available.

The Goal:

Understand what Ohioans actually think, not manufacture narratives.

Source Library

Every major report will include links to original source material whenever possible, including legislation, court decisions, government reports, budget documents, academic research, and public records.

Members should never have to wonder where information came from.

Our Standards

Our Research Principles

The Ohio Common Ground Research Center operates according to strict, non-partisan standards of transparency and integrity.

Show Your Work

Whenever practical, sources, methodology, and supporting evidence will be published alongside conclusions.

Separate Facts From Opinions

Members deserve to know the difference between verified facts, analysis, commentary, and advocacy.

Present Tradeoffs Honestly

Most public policy questions involve competing priorities. The Research Center will strive to help members understand those tradeoffs rather than pretending every issue has a simple answer.

Follow the Evidence

Our goal is not to protect narratives. Our goal is to pursue facts.

The Mission

Why We're Building It

Too many citizens feel they must choose between political talking points, media narratives, and social media outrage.

Ohio deserves better.

The Ohio Common Ground Research Center is being built to give citizens direct access to information, evidence, and analysis so they can make decisions with confidence.

The Power of Information

"Because informed voters make stronger decisions. And stronger decisions create stronger influence."

The Roadmap

Future Vision

Over time, the Ohio Common Ground Research Center will become one of the most comprehensive citizen-focused public policy resources in Ohio.

Knowledge Creates Influence

The Member Voting Platform gives members a voice. The Research Center gives members the information needed to use that voice wisely.

Together they help citizens move from frustration to influence.

Members will have access to:
Issue Briefings
Research Reports
Legislative Tracking
Public Data Dashboards
Accountability Scorecards
Candidate Information
Polling & Surveys
Source Documents
Personalized Elected Official Profiles
AI-Powered Research Tools