Political and civil discourse in the United States is characterized by “Truth Decay,” defined as increasing disagreement about facts, a blurring of the line between opinion and fact, an increase in the relative volume of opinion compared with fact, and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. This report explores the causes and wide-ranging consequences of Truth Decay and proposes strategies for further action. This RAND report is available for free in multiple formats and languages: • PDF – best for desktop computers and printing • ePub – best for mobile devices • mobi – best for Amazon Kindle devices • PDF in Arabic • PDF in Chinese (summary only)