Nelson: Is Common Sense Returning? Let's Hope So

OPINION

For years, Americans have watched common sense slowly disappear from our institutions.

Companies abandoned their core missions, basic etiquette eroded, and public policy seemed increasingly disconnected from reality.

But lately something interesting has been happening: common sense is quietly making a comeback.

Look no further than several recent decisions from major companies — decisions that, not long ago, would have been considered obvious.

Take banking.

Both Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase recently moved away from the increasingly controversial practice of "proxy voting."

In recent years, asset managers have wielded enormous voting power in corporate boardrooms — often on behalf of millions of passive investors who never explicitly approved the ideological positions being taken in their name.

Allowing individual investors more say over how their shares are voted isn't radical.

It's simply restoring the principle that your investments should reflect your own priorities, not the preferences of a handful of executives or activists.

Wells Fargo and Chase are doing exactly what shareholders expect them to do — prioritize success over ideology.

Then there's Chevron.

At several of its California locations, the company has posted signs explaining why gas prices are so high in the Golden State.

The message is straightforward: California has the highest gas taxes and fees nationally.

This shouldn't be controversial.

It’s basic transparency.

For years, consumers have been told that corporations alone are responsible for high fuel prices, even when government taxes and regulatory costs make up a significant portion of what drivers pay at the pump.

Simply informing customers about those realities is not political, i's honest.

And sometimes common sense comes in different forms.

United Airlines recently announced that passengers who play music or videos out loud on flights may face consequences, up to and including being banned from future travel.

If you've ever been stuck on a plane next to someone blasting YouTube videos at full volume, you know exactly why this rule exists.

For decades, basic etiquette dictated that shared spaces require a certain level of consideration for others.

Headphones exist for a reason.

Bringing back that expectation shouldn't be controversial — it’s common sense.

Taken individually, these changes might seem small.

But together they represent a broader shift.

For too long, institutions strayed away from practical, everyday thinking.

Companies felt pressure to wade into political debates unrelated to their businesses.

Regulators layered on complex rules driving up costs while blaming companies for increasing prices. Social norms that once governed shared spaces quietly faded.

The result was frustration — among consumers, investors, and everyday Americans who felt like no one was applying basic logic anymore.

As we near America's 250th anniversary, the pendulum may finally be swinging back.

Common sense has always been one of our nation's greatest strengths.

It's the idea that complicated problems often have straightforward solutions, that institutions should serve the people who rely on them, and that simple rules like telling the truth, respecting others, and letting individuals make their own choices still matter.

If the recent moves by major companies are any indication, common sense may become more common again.

That's a comeback worth celebrating.

Lisa B. Nelson is Chief Executive Officer of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).