Michael Rich

This graphic shows how the entire #TruthDecay system works.

Although it's been seven years since #TruthDecay was published, it is more relevant than ever. 10/10

Although there have been several similar periods in American history, this era is different and more dangerous. #TruthDecay is not limited to one region of the country, to one particular demographic group, or to one political party. It is a complex, systemic challenge. 9/10

The dangers don't stop with dysfunction and gridlock. When government can't get things done, it furthers erodes public trust in our institutions, already low. When trust erodes enough, citizens begin disengaging from the civic processes and institutions upon which healthy democracies depend. 8/10

Without civil discourse, tackling a nation's most serious and chronic problems is virtually impossible. Those require compromise and consensus over long period of time and that's impossible if different factions can't agree on a single set of facts. 7/10

The dangers of #TruthDecay begin with the erosion of civil discourse: respectful, productive discussions about a significant issue with someone with whom you disagree. When this erosion happens in government, it leads to dysfunction and sometimes even gridlock. 6/10

The book analyzes in detail four drivers of #TruthDecay: cognitive biases, changes in the information landscape, the failure of education systems to keep up with those changes, and a rise in social, economic, and political polarization. 5/10

#TruthDecay is characterized by a blurring of fact vs opinion, a huge increase in the volume of opinions, a sharp decline in public trusts in institutions that were formerly authoritative sources of information, and increasing disagreement about verifiable facts & scientific consensus. 4/10

The book documented the four trends that comprise #TruthDecay; outlined a conceptual framework of causes, consequences, and linkages among them; and compared and contrasted similar periods in American history 3/10

Declining Trust in Facts and Institutions Imposes Costs on Society “Truth Decay” is the diminishing reliance on facts and analysis in American public life. It has many damaging consequences: the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengag...

Here's where you can download a copy of Truth Decay: www.rand.org/pubs/researc... 2/10

Seven years ago this week, @rand.org published "Truth Decay," the book that @jekavanagh.bsky.social and I wrote about the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. #TruthDecay 1/10