Do Facts Matter?

2015-01-20 Political Science

Author : Jennifer L. Hochschild
Release : 2015-01-20
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 418/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Do Facts Matter? by : Jennifer L. Hochschild

Download or read book Do Facts Matter? written by Jennifer L. Hochschild. This book was released on 2015-01-20. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A democracy falters when most of its citizens are uninformed or misinformed, when misinformation affects political decisions and actions, or when political actors foment misinformation—the state of affairs the United States faces today, as this timely book makes painfully clear. In Do Facts Matter? Jennifer L. Hochschild and Katherine Levine Einstein start with Thomas Jefferson’s ideal citizen, who knows and uses correct information to make policy or political choices. What, then, the authors ask, are the consequences if citizens are informed but do not act on their knowledge? More serious, what if they do act, but on incorrect information? Analyzing the use, nonuse, and misuse of facts in various cases—such as the call to impeach Bill Clinton, the response to global warming, Clarence Thomas’s appointment to the Supreme Court, the case for invading Iraq, beliefs about Barack Obama’s birthplace and religion, and the Affordable Care Act—Hochschild and Einstein argue persuasively that errors of commission (that is, acting on falsehoods) are even more troublesome than errors of omission. While citizens’ inability or unwillingness to use the facts they know in their political decision making may be frustrating, their acquisition and use of incorrect “knowledge” pose a far greater threat to a democratic political system. Do Facts Matter? looks beyond individual citizens to the role that political elites play in informing, misinforming, and encouraging or discouraging the use of accurate or mistaken information or beliefs. Hochschild and Einstein show that if a well-informed electorate remains a crucial component of a successful democracy, the deliberate concealment of political facts poses its greatest threat.

Do Facts Matter?

2015-01-20 Education

Author : Jennifer L. Hochschild
Release : 2015-01-20
Genre : Education
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 426/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Do Facts Matter? by : Jennifer L. Hochschild

Download or read book Do Facts Matter? written by Jennifer L. Hochschild. This book was released on 2015-01-20. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Do Facts Matter? Jennifer L. Hochschild and Katherine Levine Einstein start with Thomas Jefferson’s ideal citizen, who knows and uses correct information to make policy or political choices. What, then, the authors ask, are the consequences if citizens are informed but do not act on their knowledge? More serious, what if they do act, but on incorrect information?

A Matter of Facts

2021-03-04 Language Arts & Disciplines

Author : Laura A. Millar
Release : 2021-03-04
Genre : Language Arts & Disciplines
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 578/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis A Matter of Facts by : Laura A. Millar

Download or read book A Matter of Facts written by Laura A. Millar. This book was released on 2021-03-04. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The safeguarding of authentic facts is essential, especially in this disruptive Orwellian age, where digital technologies have opened the door to a post-truth world in which "alternative facts" can be so easily accepted as valid. And because facts matter, evidence matters. In this urgent manifesto, archives luminary Millar makes the case that authentic and accurate records, archives, data, and other sources of documentary proof are crucial in supporting and fostering a society that is respectful, democratic, and self-aware. An eye-opening treatise for the general public, an invaluable resource for archives students, and a provocative call-to-arms for information and records professionals, Millar's book explains the concept of evidence and discusses the ways in which records, archives, and data are not just useful tools for our daily existence but also essential sources of evidence both today and in the future; includes plentiful examples that illustrate the critical role evidence plays in upholding rights, enforcing responsibilities, tracing family or community stories, and capturing and sharing memories; and examines the impact of digital technologies on how records and information are created and used. With documentary examples ranging from Mesopotamian clay tablets to World War II photographs to today’s Twitter messages and Facebook posts, Millar’s stirring book will encourage readers to understand more fully the importance of their own records and archives, for themselves and for future generations.

The Matter of Facts

2020-03-18 Science

Author : Gareth Leng
Release : 2020-03-18
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 28X/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Matter of Facts by : Gareth Leng

Download or read book The Matter of Facts written by Gareth Leng. This book was released on 2020-03-18. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How biases, the desire for a good narrative, reliance on citation metrics, and other problems undermine confidence in modern science. Modern science is built on experimental evidence, yet scientists are often very selective in deciding what evidence to use and tend to disagree about how to interpret it. In The Matter of Facts, Gareth and Rhodri Leng explore how scientists produce and use evidence. They do so to contextualize an array of problems confronting modern science that have raised concerns about its reliability: the widespread use of inappropriate statistical tests, a shortage of replication studies, and a bias in both publishing and citing “positive” results. Before these problems can be addressed meaningfully, the authors argue, we must understand what makes science work and what leads it astray. The myth of science is that scientists constantly challenge their own thinking. But in reality, all scientists are in the business of persuading other scientists of the importance of their own ideas, and they do so by combining reason with rhetoric. Often, they look for evidence that will support their ideas, not for evidence that might contradict them; often, they present evidence in a way that makes it appear to be supportive; and often, they ignore inconvenient evidence. In a series of essays focusing on controversies, disputes, and discoveries, the authors vividly portray science as a human activity, driven by passion as well as by reason. By analyzing the fluidity of scientific concepts and the dynamic and unpredictable development of scientific fields, the authors paint a picture of modern science and the pressures it faces.

Hawaiian Sovereignty

1998 History

Author : Thurston Twigg-Smith
Release : 1998
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : /5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Hawaiian Sovereignty by : Thurston Twigg-Smith

Download or read book Hawaiian Sovereignty written by Thurston Twigg-Smith. This book was released on 1998. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

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