Listen
Give each side its strongest fair reading.
BEFORE YOU DECIDE THEY’RE CRAZY
See the reasoning beneath the disagreement.
We call the frameworks, fallacies, biases, evidence gaps, and hidden stakes—without telling you which side to join.
FRAMEWORK CALL01
COMPARED WITH WHAT?
Opportunity Cost
What better alternative does this decision prevent?01Hear the exchange
02Make the calls
03Ask what moves it forward
WHAT IS REASONING REFEREE?
A guide to the thinking behind disagreements and difficult public issues.
Reasoning Referee is a plain-language tool for understanding why reasonable people can hear the same issue and reach different conclusions. It identifies the reasoning lenses, argument problems, mental shortcuts, missing evidence, and personal or institutional stakes that may be shaping an exchange.
It was made to help people pause before dismissing the other side as foolish, dishonest, or “crazy.” Like a sports referee, it calls what is happening in the exchange and explains the call. It does not choose your political team, assume bad motives, or replace verified facts with an opinion.
Identify
Name the reasoning, weak spots, and unstated stakes.
Move forward
Ask the question or find the evidence that could clarify the dispute.
One important note: people do not need to know the formal name of a framework to use it. Scholars often gave names to patterns of reasoning that people already use naturally.
CURATED DISCUSSIONS
Start with something recognizable.
Each case is short. Every underlined reasoning tool opens a deeper explanation when you want it.
CITY HALL
Illegal fireworks
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
Should police be reassigned to enforce the city’s fireworks ban?
PUBLIC SPACE
Mercer Park encampment
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
Should the city close an encampment before enough suitable shelter exists?
LOCAL ECONOMY
Street vendors
SCENARIO CONTRIBUTED BY OSCAR SANCHEZ · 2026
Should the city expand street-vending permits when established restaurants say the rules and costs are unequal?
PUBLIC ACCESS
Accessible parking
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
Should some accessible spaces be reserved for people who need wheelchair ramps, lifts, or wide-transfer access?
WORKPLACE
The return-to-office divide
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
Should employees keep working remotely when leadership says the organization performs better together in person?
MEDIA & CULTURE
The AI slop backlash
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
When does generative AI help humans create—and when does it replace the human qualities audiences came to experience?
TRANSPORTATION & TECHNOLOGY
When the driver disappears
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
How quickly should self-driving vehicles be allowed to transform public roads—and what choices should remain human?
ECONOMY & SOCIAL CONTRACT
A floor beneath everyone
A REASONING REFEREE ORIGINAL · 2026
Should every adult receive a dependable basic income with no work requirement or means test?
YOUR TURN
What disagreement would you like to better understand?
THE COMMUNITY DOCKET
You choose what enters the conversation next.
Vote free among six potential discussions, or submit your own scenario for priority editorial review.