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Civic Education

Information Operations
blog
Combating Disinformation by Bolstering Truth and Trust
May 24, 2022
For Jessica Cecil, founder and former head of the Trusted News Initiative, today feels a bit like the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which agreed-upon facts endure in only a few isolated places of elite discussion and there is no common language of politics. She spoke about the need for governments, companies, news organizations, and relevant civil society groups to work together to combat disinformation at a meeting of RAND Europe's Council of Advisors.
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Violent Extremism
blog
Extremism Online, Russia's Military, Preventing Police Killings: RAND Weekly Recap
May 20, 2022
This weekly recap focuses on the internet's role in stoking extremism and hate, how Russia has failed its military personnel, a research roadmap to help prevent police killings in the United States, and more.
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Civic Education
commentary
'Truth Decay' in Europe Is Real, but Its Advance Can Be Slowed
Axelle Devaux @AxelleDevaux, Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens
May 17, 2022
Encompass
Though present in Europe, the evidence suggests that trends of Truth Decay are not as widespread or as pronounced as they are in the United States. There is still time for policymakers to intervene and limit their growth.
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Refugees
blog
Helping Ukrainian Refugees, Truth Decay, Algorithmic Inequity: RAND Weekly Recap
Apr 1, 2022
This weekly recap focuses on how to help Ukrainian refugees, the link between cognitive processes and Truth Decay, tracking wastewater to understand the spread of COVID-19, and more.
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Media Literacy
q&a
Truth Decay Is a Threat to Democracy. Here’s What You Can Do to Help Stop It
Mar 29, 2022
Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in American public life, isn't a problem that any one person can fix. But there are simple steps that individuals can take to help counter it.
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Civic Education
commentary
How State Critical Race Theory Bans Could Trickle Down to the Classroom
Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman, Alice Huguet
Aug 31, 2021
The 74
Given the potential blowback to teaching anything related to race or gender, avoiding lessons on the experiences of women or people of color will be the path of least resistance in many schools. But discussing racism and sexism in a safe environment is crucial for students to become active, knowledgeable citizens.
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Social Media Analysis
commentary
Platforms Should Use Algorithms to Help Users Help Themselves
Christopher Paul, Hilary Reininger
Jul 20, 2021
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Social media users generate massive volumes of content, which then spreads at extraordinary speeds. Yet platforms generally rely on a slow process of human moderation to remove prohibited content. What if moderation could happen before the content is even posted?
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Vaccination
blog
Vaccine Hesitancy, Sexual Misconduct in the U.S. Military, the Iran Nuclear Deal: RAND Weekly Recap
Mar 5, 2021
This weekly recap focuses on Black Americans' vaccine hesitancy, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the U.S. military, rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, and more.
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Civic Education
commentary
Giving Teachers the Tools They Need to Provide 21st-Century Civics Education
Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman
Feb 23, 2021
The RAND Blog
The Capitol attack has rightfully led to many calls for teachers to address civic education in a much more robust way in their classrooms. However, a national survey of social studies teachers suggests that teachers lack the critical training and incentives to do so.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
RAND Commentary Highlights of 2020
Dec 18, 2020
The roughly 400 op-eds and blog posts published by RAND researchers during the year reflected an enormous variety of expertise and perspectives, from remote education to election cybersecurity to the economic harms of racial disparities. Here are 10 highlights that landed in high-profile news outlets.
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Civic Education
blog
Civic Education, 'Vaccine Nationalism,' Polar Icebreakers: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 11, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how to revive civic education in America's public schools, the costs of "vaccine nationalism," why the United States needs more polar icebreaking ships, and more.
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Civic Education
article
Want to Rebuild Public Trust? Focus on Civic Education
Dec 8, 2020
Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life—has led to political paralysis, the erosion of civil discourse, and widespread uncertainty. Investing in civic education and media literacy could be the antidote. But what exactly can be done to spur a civics revival in U.S. schools?
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Politics and Government
blog
Restoring Public Trust, COVID-19 and Thanksgiving, Vaccinating Teachers: RAND Weekly Recap
Nov 26, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how the Biden-Harris administration can restore public trust, the risk of Thanksgiving becoming a super-spreader event, why teachers should be among the first to get a COVID19 vaccination, and more.
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Politics and Government
commentary
Putting America's Civic Infrastructure on the Biden-Harris Agenda
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich, Jennifer Kavanagh
Nov 19, 2020
Los Angeles Times
Much like our bridges and roads, America's civic infrastructure has been allowed to crumble. This has allowed Truth Decay to set in. The new administration can begin to repair the deep fissures in our society by explicitly and implicitly rehabilitating the nation's civic infrastructure.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
'Vaccine Nationalism,' a Pandemic Election, Women in the Workforce: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 30, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on why 'vaccine nationalism' could be costly, how Americans feel about voting during a pandemic, why women are leaving the workforce, and more.
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Civic Education
essay
The Importance of Teaching Civic Responsibility in America
Oct 29, 2020
A survey of civics and social studies teachers asked what they teach, how they teach it, and what they think students need to know. Most said their students absolutely need to learn to be tolerant of different people and groups. And they want their students to see themselves as global citizens.
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Civic Education
blog
Truth Decay, Opioid Settlement Funds, Veterans Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 23, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on fighting back against Truth Decay, how to spend opioid settlement funds, China's lack of friends, and more.
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Civic Education
commentary
Think Tanks in the Era of Truth Decay
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Oct 22, 2020
RAND Review
Truth Decay is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, and it cuts much deeper than any political party or demographic. It's why nonpartisan think tanks like RAND are as important now as they have ever been.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
commentary
What Do You Do with a Problem Like COVID-19?
Raphael S. Cohen
Apr 10, 2020
Fox News Channel
Over the last several decades, Americans' trust in their government and its institutions crumbled. Beyond that, the value of truth and expertise, the common bedrock of sound policymaking, was decaying in American society. COVID-19 might present an opportunity to correct some of these ills.
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Media Literacy
commentary
How to Contain the Disinformation Virus
Axelle Devaux @AxelleDevaux
Apr 9, 2020
Encompass
Like COVID-19, disinformation spreads only if we help it spread. While we have all been asked to stay at home as responsible citizens to contain the virus, we should also feel responsible for making it harder for disinformation to spread.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
q&a
Truth Decay in the Coronavirus Moment: Q&A with Jennifer Kavanagh
Mar 17, 2020
Jennifer Kavanagh, who wrote the RAND book Truth Decay about the diminishing role that facts play in making important public policy decisions, calls the unfolding situation with the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 a worst-case scenario.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Coronavirus Outbreak, Drones, the U.S. Power Grid: RAND Weekly Recap
Mar 6, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the intensifying coronavirus outbreak, cyber threats from drones, the vulnerabilities of the U.S. power grid, and more.
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Media Literacy
essay
American News Habits and the Challenge of Truth Decay
Mar 4, 2020
RAND researchers asked people where they get their news, how reliable they think it is, and whether they seek out viewpoints that are different from their own. The results provide some new clues to help diagnose and treat Truth Decay.
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Russia
blog
Russian Subversion, Truth Decay, Supervised Drug Consumption Sites: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 28, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on responding to Russian subversion, how the media can help fight Truth Decay, the first supervised drug consumption site in the United States, artificial intelligence, and more.
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Media Literacy
blog
Panel: How the Media Can Help Fight Truth Decay
Feb 25, 2020
Truth Decay is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. As part of this phenomenon, Americans are losing faith in once-trusted sources of information, including the news. How might media organizations address this?
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Health Care Costs
blog
Most Popular RAND Research of 2019
Dec 24, 2019
The search for lasting solutions to difficult policy problems starts with facts. Here are the 10 research projects that rand.org readers engaged with the most in 2019.
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Civic Education
commentary
The RAND Institute for Civil Justice: 40th Anniversary Reflections
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Nov 6, 2019
The RAND Blog
For 40 years, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ) has supplied government and private decisionmakers and the public with the results of objective, empirically based, analytic research. In this era of the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life, or Truth Decay, the mission and research of the ICJ have never been more important.
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United States
blog
RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 5, 2019
For busy staff, August's respite from back-to-back meetings, hearing preparation, and late votes is hard-earned. The summer recess also provides an opportunity to get ahead of issues that will resurface in the fall. To that end, we have compiled recent RAND research on topics likely to top the congressional agenda come September.
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Gun Violence
blog
The Most Popular RAND Research of 2018
Dec 21, 2018
RAND serves as an objective source of facts that help inform the world's most pressing policy debates. When decisions are based on the best evidence, that's when public policy can have a positive impact on people's lives. We're highlighting the 10 research projects that RAND.org readers found most engaging this year.
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Social Media Analysis
blog
Best RAND Videos of 2018
Dec 19, 2018
RAND research yields findings that run the gamut of potential applications and promising policy solutions. Here, we highlight three of 2018's most captivating videos featuring RAND research and its potential to inform policy.
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Media Literacy
commentary
What Role Should Schools Play in Teaching Pupils to Spot Fake News?
Asha Carpenter
Nov 28, 2018
Schools Week
Since social media is not regulated in the same way as traditional news media, anyone can convey information with little fact-checking. So how do we help children develop critical literacy skills to enable them to interpret the media correctly?
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Civic Education
blog
Conversation at RAND: Truth Decay
Oct 2, 2018
The recent erosion of public trust in facts and institutions is not the first period of Truth Decay in U.S. history. What's different this time is the increasing disagreement about objective facts. Jennifer Kavanagh and William “Pat” Getty discussed the trend and how to stop it.
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Data Science
commentary
Truth Decay, America's Latest Pastime
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich, Jennifer Kavanagh
Jul 12, 2018
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Detailed data and complex analysis are the foundation of decisionmaking in baseball and many other professions and occupations. But facts are out of favor in current U.S. political and civil discourse, and the public policymaking that accompanies it.
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Media Literacy
commentary
In Reckoning with Today's Truth Wars, Look to America's Past
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich, Jennifer Kavanagh
Jun 19, 2018
CNN
The declining regard for factual evidence may be a defining characteristic of our current age. Previous eras suggest it is within society's power to restore respect for objective facts. Humankind just needs to put it on the agenda.
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Social Media Analysis
blog
Regulation or Research? The Search for Solutions to Reduce Truth Decay in the Media
May 22, 2018
What is social media's role in the decline of trust in the media? Is government intervention needed to help stop the spread of misinformation? A panel of researchers discussed the connection between the media and Truth Decay at a recent RAND event in Boston.
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article
How to Increase Immunity to Truth Decay
May 16, 2018
Americans have always held differing views about policy issues. But more and more, they disagree about basic facts. This is a symptom of what RAND calls "Truth Decay," and it's doing severe damage to democracy in the United States.
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Civic Education
commentary
People—Not the Tech Companies—Will Ultimately Stop Disinformation in Europe
Jennifer Kavanagh, Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens
Apr 9, 2018
E!Sharp
Authorities can continue to seek to punish the tech companies for the circulation of false articles. But this is unlikely to make a difference until more people take the time and acquire the skills to distinguish between fact and fiction.
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Civic Education
commentary
Truth Decay and the Spirit of the Law
Dan Grunfeld
Mar 23, 2018
Daily Journal
The widening gap between how the law is expected to be (and generally is) practiced, and certain events transpiring in America's political and policymaking realms, is of increasing concern.
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Civic Education
commentary
The Danger of Truth Decay Across Europe
Hans Pung
Mar 19, 2018
E!Sharp
“Truth Decay” poses a threat to the health and future of democracy across Europe. With partial facts, disinformation, and incompatible versions of “the truth” competing for attention, it's more and more important for Europeans to recognize this phenomenon.
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Civic Education
q&a
The Perils of Truth Decay: Q&A with Three RAND Leaders
Feb 27, 2018
RAND Review
Truth Decay is defined by disagreement about facts, the blurred line between opinion and fact, increased volume of opinion and personal experience over fact, and declining trust in formerly respected sources of facts. RAND president and CEO Michael D. Rich, journalist Soledad O'Brien, and political scientist Francis Fukuyama discuss the phenomenon and the search for solutions to it.
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Civic Education
commentary
The Diminishing Role of Facts in American Public Life
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich, Jennifer Kavanagh
Jan 17, 2018
USA Today
Without agreement about objective facts and a common understanding of and respect for data and analytical interpretations of those data, it becomes nearly impossible to have the types of meaningful policy debates that form the foundation of democracy.
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Education Legislation
commentary
Strengthening Our Democracy Starts in School
Anna Rosefsky Saavedra
Dec 17, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
The teaching of civics and other social studies courses has hit hard times in most states, driven in part by accountability systems that reward schools for math and reading scores. Yet civic education is critical to the stability of our democracy and seems warranted now more than ever.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
Nine Lessons on How to Teach 21st Century Skills and Knowledge
Anna Rosefsky Saavedra, V. Darleen Opfer @VDarleenOpfer
Oct 19, 2012
Education Week
Despite widespread agreement among parents, educators, employers and policymakers worldwide that students need skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity, these skills are stubbornly difficult to teach and learn, write Anna R. Saavedra and V. Darleen Opfer.
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Civic Education
blog
10 Books That Will Change the Way You Think
Jul 19, 2012
The Pardee RAND Graduate School asked its faculty members to name the books that inspired them, and remain essential reading for anyone who wants to stretch themselves and how they view the world.
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