Facts, Science and Evidence-Based Policy Making: Pushing Back Against Propaganda

Determining what qualifies as truth is no easy task—but it remains a moral and legal imperative. The more difficult the test, the more essential it becomes. Information from the margins should not be dismissed as outlier noise; there is room for experimentation that may yield new insights into emerging challenges. This article reviews the use of evidence in policymaking and questions the current consensus on what constitutes a “fact” in public discourse.