2021-04-29T13:56:26Z Copyright (c) 2021, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/topics/civic-education.html Michael D. Rich; Jennifer Kavanagh https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/11/putting-americas-civic-infrastructure-on-the-biden.html 2020-11-19T13:30:00Z 2020-11-19T13:30:00Z

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.

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/blog/articles/2020/12/want-to-rebuild-public-trust-focus-on-civic-education.html 2020-12-08T00:01:00Z 2020-12-08T00:01:00Z

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?

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/about-truth-decay.html 2021-03-26T14:14:00Z 2021-03-26T14:14:00Z

The United States is experiencing an era of "Truth Decay"—the line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred. What's causing this phenomenon? And what can be done to counter it?

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/explore-research-and-commentary-by-topic.html 2021-03-23T10:54:00Z 2021-03-23T10:54:00Z

From how disinformation spreads online to Americans' trust in democratic institutions, RAND researchers are studying a wide range of topics related to Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts in U.S. public life.

Alice Huguet; Garrett Baker; Laura S. Hamilton; John F. Pane https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-12.html 2021-01-19T09:00:00Z 2021-01-19T09:00:00Z

Media literacy may be a powerful tool against Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in public life. What standards could help teachers, policymakers, and others implement media literacy education more effectively?

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/news/press/2021/01/07.html 2021-01-07T18:30:00Z 2021-01-07T18:30:00Z

The audacity of the rioters at the U.S. Capitol and the violence they perpetrated should have no place in the political process, although tragically, and all too often, violence finds its home in the United States.

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/news/press/2020/12/08.html 2020-12-08T03:01:00Z 2020-12-08T03:01:00Z

Only one in five social studies teachers in U.S. public schools report feeling very well prepared to support students' civic learning, saying they need additional aid with instructional materials, professional development, and training.

Laura S. Hamilton; Julia H. Kaufman; Lynn Hu https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-6.html 2020-12-08T00:01:00Z 2020-12-08T00:01:00Z

To restore the role of facts in public life, it's important for America's youth to develop strong civic skills. Students can build these skills in the classroom, but teachers need better resources and more support to help them do it.

Jennifer Kavanagh; Katherine Grace Carman; Maria DeYoreo; Nathan Chandler; Lynn E. Davis https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-7.html 2020-11-17T08:45:00Z 2020-11-17T08:45:00Z

Trust in the government, news media, and other institutions has declined in the past two decades. What factors might explain this decline? And what else do we need to learn in order to begin rebuilding public trust?

Julia H. Kaufman; Laura S. Hamilton; Lynn Hu https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-5.html 2020-08-24T09:00:00Z 2020-08-24T09:00:00Z

U.S. social studies teachers do not have a great deal of trust in many public institutions, such as news outlets and the government. This might have implications for how much they draw on or reference such institutions in their instruction.

Laura S. Hamilton; Julia H. Kaufman; Lynn Hu https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-4.html 2020-08-03T10:04:00Z 2020-08-03T10:04:00Z

High school social studies teachers play an important role in fostering the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students need to thrive after graduation. How have these teachers' perspectives on student civic development changed from 2010 to 2019?

Julia H. Kaufman; Laura S. Hamilton; Lynn Hu https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-3.html 2020-07-13T19:50:00Z 2020-07-13T19:50:00Z

Teachers' instructional materials provide a window into civic education in schools. Where are public-school social studies teachers getting most of their instructional materials? And how are they using these materials to teach civics?

Laura S. Hamilton; Julia H. Kaufman; Lynn Hu; David Grant; Claude Messan Setodji; Matt Strawn https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-1.html 2020-06-29T09:00:00Z 2020-06-29T09:00:00Z

As part of the RAND Corporation's Truth Decay initiative, researchers surveyed public-school social studies teachers about approaches to civic education. This report, one in a series of six, provides technical information about the survey.

Laura S. Hamilton; Julia H. Kaufman; Lynn Hu https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-2.html 2020-06-29T09:00:00Z 2020-06-29T09:00:00Z

Schools can play a key role in fighting Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts in U.S. public life—by teaching media literacy to students. How much emphasis do teachers and schools put on this subject?

Elaine Lin Wang; Rosanna Smart https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TLA243-1.html 2020-06-11T09:00:00Z 2020-06-11T09:00:00Z

When RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative released its first set of research tools in 2018, high school teachers reported that their students were keenly interested. This new unit plan, recommended for grades 10 to 12, is designed to help educators and students understand gun policy research.

Andrew McEachin; Douglas Lee Lauen; Sarah Crittenden Fuller; Rachel Perera https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP68188.html 2020-06-05T10:30:00Z 2020-06-05T10:30:00Z

We add to the research on charter school effects by evaluating the impacts of secondary charter school attendance on 9th grade behavioral outcomes and individuals' propensity to commit crime and participate in elections as young adults in North Carolina.

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2020/02/20/how-the-media-can-help-fight-truth-decay.html 2020-02-20T22:00:00Z 2020-02-20T22:00:00Z

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?

Jennifer Kavanagh; Hilary Reininger; Norah Griffin https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL323.html 2019-11-12T09:00:00Z 2019-11-12T09:00:00Z

RAND researchers created a database of web tools that aim to fight the spread of disinformation. These include fact-checking tools, bot detectors, media literacy applications, and more.

RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation.html 2019-11-12T09:00:00Z 2019-11-12T09:00:00Z

With the rise of the internet and social media, false or intentionally misleading information can spread further and faster than ever before. What tools exist to fight disinformation online?

Alice Huguet; Jennifer Kavanagh; Garrett Baker; Marjory S. Blumenthal https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3050.html 2019-07-11T05:00:00Z 2019-07-11T05:00:00Z

Can media literacy education help counter the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life? To find out, RAND experts analyzed what we know—and don't know—about the subject.