Truth Decay is the term we use for the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life. Truth Decay erodes civil discourse. In government, that leads to dysfunction and more and more often, gridlock, which further erodes public trust in institutions and increases the risk of civic disengagement from the processes that make a democracy work.

That’s why understanding how Truth Decay works and then identifying ways to counter it are so important. The survival of communities, institutions, and entire societies depends on accomplishing this.