About us

Common Ground Davis brings together UC Davis students who disagree politically, into structured debates built around the Steelman argument - before presenting an argument members must accurately present the strongest interpretation of the opposing argument and explain why a reasonable person may hold that belief.

We are founded & led by two co-leaders who disagree politically and practice what they preach.

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Meetings

We're brand new and still registering, so we won't be an official student organization until Winter Quarter 2027. We plan to host unofficial meetings and debates on Discord sooner than that. You can still join those, and we'd like to see you there.

Last updated October 16, 2026.

What we do

Every debate comes down to four things:

• The Steelman Argument

  Before presenting a rebutall members must accurately present the strongest interpretation of the opposing argument and explain why a reasonable person may hold that belief.

  

• No winner

  We do not score or declare a winner. The goal of the debate is to understand both sides and yourself better, and to find common ground.

  

• Show up

  Show up even when you are not speaking. You can learn from the room and see what both sides actually think. You will debate too, just not on every topic.

  

• Preparation

  We send out the topic days before the debate, so both sides have time to prepare. A good debate is not a surprise.

  

Full Debate Format →