July 30, 2026
The additions deepen the board’s expertise in democracy and the integrity of public opinion research
WASHINGTON, DC (July 30, 2026) – More in Common US today announced that Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Soren Dayton, and Sean Westwood have joined its Board of Directors. The three bring deep expertise in polarization, democracy, human rights, effective government, and the integrity of public opinion research.
Bibbins Sedaca is the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and previously served as executive vice president and interim president of Freedom House, following ten years at the U.S. Department of State working on democracy promotion and human rights.
Dayton is the director of the American Governance Policy team at the Foundation for American Innovation, where he leads work on strengthening American governing institutions. He has spent two decades at the intersection of politics and policy, with a focus on institutional reform and legislative capacity.
Westwood is an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab. He is a leading voice on the risks AI poses to survey research, having shown that AI-generated “synthetic respondents” can convincingly evade the detection methods researchers rely on to catch bots.
“Nicole, Soren, and Sean are experts at the top of their fields, and they’re also great people,” said Jason Mangone, Executive Director of More in Common US. “Their judgment will make us sharper as we continue to grow and advance More in Common’s mission. I look forward to working alongside them.”
“America thrives when its citizens—especially those who disagree with one another—are able to constructively associate with one another,” said Daniel Stid, More in Common US Board Chair. “I’m honored to have Nicole, Sean, and Soren join me on the board, three Americans who are models for both the professional rigor and also the spirit of openness and curiosity that More in Common strives for.”
“Having worked on democracy issues globally and in the US for many years, I ‘ve seen how important it is to have strong data and analysis as the basis for strengthening a democracy,” said Nicole Bibbins Sedaca. “More in Common is doing the necessary work of proving that Americans agree on more than the loudest voices suggest. I’m deeply honored to join their board.”
“We’re headed for an era of coalitional realignment in our politics,” said Soren Dayton. “I’m excited to be a part of an organization that will help the country tell a story about itself, one that makes room to treat the most progressive liberals and the most traditional conservatives with the respect and understanding that their viewpoints deserve.”
“Public opinion research is facing threats to its credibility that most people outside the field don’t yet appreciate,” said Sean Westwood. “More in Common has built its reputation on rigorous, trustworthy data, and I’m glad to help make sure that reputation holds as the landscape gets increasingly complicated.”
About Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Nicole Bibbins Sedaca is the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. Bringing her expertise on American foreign policy, US and global democracy issues, freedom, human rights, and leadership, Bibbins Sedaca writes and speaks on behalf of the George W. Bush Institute and serves as faculty in our various leadership programs.
She has written on democracy and human rights issues for the Journal for Democracy, CNN.com, Foreign Policy magazine, The Hill, the Dallas Morning News, and many local media outlets, as well as done a TEDX Talk and been interviewed on CBS News, CNN, National Public Radio, the Council on Foreign Relations, and various podcasts and local news outlets.
Bibbins Sedaca served as the executive vice president and interim president at Freedom House, an organization dedicated to defending and expanding freedom worldwide by promoting accountable government, the rule of law, civil liberties, and political rights. Previously, she was a Professor in the Practice of International Affairs at Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program, and served as the Deputy Director and Chair for the Global Politics and Security Concentration in MSFS.
Bibbins Sedaca has held numerous positions in the public and non-governmental sectors in the United States and Ecuador. She served for ten years in the United States Department of State, working on democracy promotion, human rights, human trafficking, religious freedom, refugees, and counterterrorism. Following her governmental service, she opened and directed the International Republican Institute’s local governance program in Ecuador. She also taught at the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador) on democratization and conflict resolution, and co-led the award-winning USFQ Model United Nations team. Ms. Bibbins Sedaca has served on numerous academic and non-profit boards, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Justice Mission.
Bibbins Sedaca holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from The College of William and Mary, where she was a Presidential and Monroe Scholar. She studied at Humboldt Universitaet in Berlin, Germany, while on a Rotary International Scholarship.
About Soren Dayton
Soren Dayton is the director of the American Governance Policy team at the Foundation for American Innovation, where he leads work on strengthening American governing institutions. He has spent two decades at the intersection of politics and policy, with a focus on institutional reform and legislative capacity. His work has been featured in outlets such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and National Review, and he has testified before Congress on ways to improve the effectiveness of government. Prior to FAI, he directed governance initiatives at the Niskanen Center and Protect Democracy. He also served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI), where he worked on foreign policy, science policy, and budget issues.
Soren has worked on a number of high-profile campaigns and political initiatives, including Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, and served as Executive Director of the Young Republican National Federation. In addition to his political work, he has advised advocacy groups, corporations, and public affairs firms on strategy and communications. He holds an AB in anthropology and mathematics from the University of Chicago. He was a 2023–2024 Democracy Fellow at the Center for Effective Government at the University of Chicago and a 2016-2017 Penn Kemble Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. Earlier in his career, he co-founded a software company and spent 18 months in India with his ex-wife working for International Justice Mission to combat labor trafficking.
About Sean Westwood
Sean is an Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab (PRL). His primary area of research is political behavior and public opinion. His work focuses on understanding where partisan biases originate, where they manifest (inside and outside political domains), and their bounds. He is particularly interested at examining how partisanship and information from political elites affect the behavior of citizens. He has expertise in both survey methods and computational social science. His work has been published in journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Political Science Review, Nature Human Behavior, and the American Journal of Political Science.
His work has been covered by The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Slate, Vox, Foreign Affairs, New Republic, Newsweek, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fortune, Financial Times, Bloomberg, NPR, New York Magazine, USA Today and other local outlets.
About More in Common
Founded in 2017, More in Common seeks to understand the forces driving Americans apart, find common ground, and help bring people together to tackle shared challenges. We work with over 200 groups across civil society, business, education, and philanthropy to conduct actionable research that informs policymakers, community leaders, and the public. Learn more at moreincommonus.com.
Media Contact: Aly Ferguson, aly@moreincommon.com