common cause

1. A joint interest, as in “The common cause against the enemies of piety” (from John Dryden's poem, Religio laici, or a Layman's Faith, 1682). This term originated as to make common cause (with), meaning “to unite one's interest with another's.” In the mid-1900s the name Common Cause was adopted by a liberal lobbying group.

Example Sentences

Polanski sought to address these concerns in his victory speech, saying: "To those of you who didn't vote for me, this is a democracy. We don't have to agree on everything. We just have to have common cause."

From BBC

California Common Cause, an ardent supporter of independent redistricting, initially signaled openness to revisiting the state’s independent redistricting rules because they would not “call for unilateral political disarmament in the face of authoritarianism.”

From Los Angeles Times

Common Cause, one of the leading anti-gerrymandering organizations in the United States, has staked out a position opposing redistricting mid-decade, even if Republicans do so in Texas.

From Salon

Carol Kuniholm, a co-founder of Fair Districts PA, told Salon that, although she is not in one of the states considering redistricting, she understands why groups like Common Cause have voiced opposition to redistricting in California.

From Salon

Common Cause declined to comment for this story.

From Salon