Over the past two decades, the role of facts and analysis in American public life has been diminishing, posing a threat to democracy and policymaking. With donor support, RAND president and CEO Michael Rich initiated a project with RAND political scientist Jennifer Kavanagh to investigate the phenomenon of “Truth Decay.” […] Read more »
Trump’s Tool Kit Does Not Include the Constitution
Since before President Trump was elected — and with greater frequency afterward — historians, political scientists and journalists have wondered how autocratic our democracy might become. Here is some evidence of how the public sees it. Bright Line Watch, a consortium of political scientists formed after the 2016 election, just […] Read more »
It’s Tribalism Not Trump
There has been a lot of hand-wringing in DC these days about the way in which President Trump has undermined the legitimacy of our nation’s top law enforcement agencies. Trump’s steady stream of Twitter tirades against the FBI and the integrity of the entire Russia investigation has eroded the traditionally […] Read more »
2018 Edelman Trust Barometer Reveals Record-Breaking Drop in Trust in the U.S.
The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust in the U.S. has suffered the largest-ever-recorded drop in the survey’s history among the general population. Trust among the general population fell nine points to 43, placing it in the lower quarter of the 28-country Trust Index. Trust among the informed public […] Read more »
Democracy Can Plant the Seeds of Its Own Destruction
Will President Trump’s assault on the norms underpinning constitutional democracy permanently alter American political life? On a daily basis, Trump tests the willingness of the public to accept a president who lies as a matter of routine. So far, Trump has persuaded a large swath of America to swallow what […] Read more »
What Public Opinion of the Russia Investigations Reveals About Trust in Democratic Institutions
Recent polling data on the Russia investigation underscores the degree to which partisanship taints Americans’ assessment of security politics. Not only are Americans intensely polarized in their assessment of matters related to the investigation into Russian election interference, but their assessments of the validity of intelligence community analysis are also […] Read more »