Giving Compass
  • Sign In
  • About Us
    About Giving Compass How We Choose Content and Organizations Annual Reflections Our Newsletter
  • Getting Started
  • Learn About Issues
    Topic Guides
    Animal Welfare COVID-19 Criminal Justice Democracy Disaster Relief Education Environment Health Homelessness Immigrants and Refugees Racial Equity Women and Girls
    Curated Articles
    Partner Collections Giving Compass Selections See All Articles
  • Give to Causes
    Issue Funds & Intermediaries Projects Nonprofits
  • Get Involved
    Philanthropy Resource Directory Events Volunteer Opportunities
  • Partner With Us
    Nonprofits Authors Use Our Content Services Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Sign Up
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Sign In

Truth Decay: A Threat to Policymaking and Democracy

RAND Corporation
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
Click here for more.
Truth Decay: A Threat to Policymaking and Democracy Giving Compass
  •  Share
  •  Save
  • 2 shares
Share

Giving Compass’ Take:

• Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich discuss the consequences of  “truth decay,” the blurring of the line between fact and fiction, on democracy and political discourse in America.

• How did the process of truth decay begin? How can donors effectively fight truth decay? 

• Learn how to fight truth decay.


The line between fact and fiction in American public life is becoming blurred. RAND has begun studying the causes and consequences of this “Truth Decay” phenomenon and how it affects democracy and political and civil discourse in the United States. Where basic facts and well-supported analyses of these facts were once generally accepted — such as the benefit of using vaccines to protect health — disagreement about even objective facts and well-supported analyses has swelled in recent years. In addition, a growing number of Americans view the U.S. government, media, and academia with new skepticism.

These developments drive wedges between policymakers and neighbors alike. This research brief describes RAND’s findings about the causes and consequences of Truth Decay and offers a research agenda for addressing the challenges this phenomenon creates, with the intent of improving policymaking and political discourse. In defining “truth decay,” we need to consider …

Heightened disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of data. There have always been differences of opinion within the American electorate. But disagreements about objective facts and topics for which data are reasonably definitive have become increasingly common. Examples include the benefits of vaccines and the safety of genetically modified foods.

The Blurred Line Between Opinion and Fact. Changes in media content and the media business model have contributed to the jumbling of fact, fiction, and opinion. Examples include journalistic content that fails to distinguish between opinion and fact, news programs that rely on commentary rather than factual reporting without clearly labelling them, and social media platforms that allow anyone to become a source of information.

Read the full research brief about “truth decay” and how it affects democracy by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich at RAND.

  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

If you are looking for more articles and resources for Advocacy and Policy, take a look at these Giving Compass selections related to impact giving and Advocacy and Policy.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    The Gates Foundation Bet Big On Teacher Evaluations

    Giving Compass' Take: · A recent report released by the Rand Corporation shows that the costly teacher evaluation systems funded by the Gates Foundation had little, if any, effect on teacher quality and student learning. According to Chalkbeat, the idea came with intentions to improve student success, but didn't lead to any clear gains in student learning. · What needs to be done to end inequity in schools? What else can be done to improve student success?  · Learn about a fresh approach to evaluating education systems. Barack Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address reflected the heady moment in education. “We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000,” he said. “A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance.” Bad teachers were the problem; good teachers were the solution. It was a simplified binary, but the idea and the research it drew on had spurred policy changes across the country, including a spate of laws establishing new evaluation systems designed to reward top teachers and help weed out low performers. Behind that effort was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which backed research and advocacy that ultimately shaped these changes. It also funded the efforts themselves, specifically in several large school districts and charter networks open to changing how teachers were hired, trained, evaluated, and paid. Now, new research commissioned by the Gates Foundation finds scant evidence that those changes accomplished what they were meant to: improve teacher quality or boost student learning. Read the full article about teacher evaluations by Matt Barnum at Chalkbeat.


Looking for a way to get involved?

Learning with others and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact for Advocacy and Policy, take a look at these events, galas, conferences and volunteering opportunities to connect with individuals like you.

Loading...
Learn More

Are you ready to give?

In addition to learning and connecting with others, taking action is a key step towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact for Advocacy and Policy take a look at these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations or Projects.

Loading...
Learn More
Connect

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
Take Action

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
More from
Giving Compass
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    How to Increase Immunity to Truth Decay
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Understanding and Fighting Truth Decay
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    The Perils of Truth Decay [Q&A]
Follow Us
Newsletter

Become a newsletter subscriber to stay up-to-date on the latest Giving Compass news.

About Us
  • About Giving Compass
  • In The News
  • Contact Us
  • Content at Giving Compass
  • Partner With Us
Trending Issues
  • Environment
  • Homelessness
  • STEM Education
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Gender Equality

Copyright © 2021, Giving Compass, LLC

•
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement

Sign in

Your personal information is confidential at Giving Compass. For more information, please visit our privacy policy. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use.