When I was a kid of five years old, my favorite TV show was “Captain Kangaroo”. We got our first TV the year the show debuted, in 1955. It was a wooden box with a small screen, but the slightly noisy B&W image was magic.
The next year, a new game show came along that my mom was obsessed with called “To Tell the Truth”. You might not think a six-year-old would have much interest in game shows, but it was one of the few shows on one of the three channels we got, so I watched it too.
The premise was simple. There were four celebrities who made up the panel and faced three contestants. The host read aloud an affidavit describing one of the contestant’s unusual jobs or experiences. The panelists asked questions of the contestants and tried to determine who the real person was. The actual person had to tell the truth, while the others could lie as much as they wanted to try to fool the panel. It was a very successful show and was revived in one form or another through 2022.
In a game show, lying is all fun and, well, games. In politics, it is corrosive to our democracy and undermines our government. At the very least, we should demand that the officials we elect tell us the truth. But we don’t. Anyone who has lived through a few elections can verify that politicians lie. Some lie a lot, some a little; but they do lie. That’s a problem in this country’s social media-soaked society. It has, in fact, taken us to the precipice in 2024.
When politicians prioritize spin over substance, the electorate becomes cynical, voter apathy sets in, and it diminishes the capacity for real change. The decisions politicians make when they are elected have profound impacts on the lives of millions of people. When they lie, it signals deeper issues such as corruption, selfish ambition, or gross incompetence.
Consider how misinformation can distort public policy. If a politician consistently lies about economic figures, climate change, or public health, policies designed to address those issues will be flawed or ineffective. For instance, misrepresenting the state of the economy might lead to misguided fiscal policies that either overspend or cut essential services. In more extreme cases, as with public health crises, lies and misinformation can cost lives, as was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when downplaying the seriousness of the virus led to delayed responses and higher mortality rates in some countries.
But one of the most damaging consequences of lies in politics is the erosion of public trust, a result that has accelerated over the last 10 years. Trust is the glue that holds societies together. Without it, our society crumbles.
In the current era of “alternative facts” and misinformation, public trust in government has reached all-time lows. According to the Pew Research Center, trust in the federal government has been declining for decades, with only 20 percent of Americans saying they trust the government to do what is right in 2021. This decline in trust creates a vicious cycle: when citizens do not trust their leaders, they are less likely to engage in civic activities, vote, or participate in other forms of political engagement. Politicians, in turn, feel less accountable to the public and more likely to act in self-interest or appease special interests.
Truthfulness from politicians is also essential for maintaining social cohesion. In diverse societies like the United States, where different groups often have competing interests and perspectives, it is crucial that political leaders speak honestly and work to bridge divides. Lies, particularly those that are divisive or scapegoat certain groups, exacerbate tensions and fuel polarization. This not only weakens the democratic process but also heightens the risk of social unrest and conflict. In such an environment, finding common ground becomes nearly impossible, and political discourse devolves into tribalism.
Lies have real-world consequences. Recently, presidential candidate Donald Trump used a bit of his debate time to claim that legal Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio. “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump proclaimed during the debate, even though the mayor of Springfield and city officials had already debunked the claim, which started with a Facebook post that the page owner herself disavowed.
The result of this lie revealed itself in the real world immediately, when threats and bomb scares shut down schools and government buildings in the city.
Trump has told numerous other corrosive and easily debunked lies in the last month. CNN recently debunked 12 lies Trump has spread in the last month. He accused Kamala Harris, his opponent, of wanting to force Americans to serve in the military. Not true. He has said nothing about the draft.
He has claimed repeatedly that Harris “had notes” to assist her in an interview. Also, not true.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that kids are going to school in the morning and returning home with a sex-change operation. He has also claimed that Harris was of Indian heritage but recently “turned black” for political expediency. Of course, that’s not true. It goes on and on. (Check out the CNN link above for the full story.)
Restoring truthfulness in politics is no easy task, but it is essential for the health of democratic governance. Several steps can be taken to encourage more honesty from public officials.
First, there must be stronger consequences for dishonesty in politics. While free speech is a constitutional right, politicians who lie to the public—especially about matters of national security, public health, or economic stability—should face sanctions, whether legal or political. Fact-checking organizations and the media have a critical role to play in holding politicians accountable for their statements, but they must remain impartial and resist the temptation to sensationalize.
Second, voters must demand higher standards from their elected officials. Civic education should be prioritized so that citizens are better equipped to recognize misinformation and make informed voting decisions. Social media platforms, which have become major conduits for political discourse, should also take greater responsibility in curbing the spread of false information.
Finally, politicians themselves must take a moral stand. The incentive to lie often stems from the belief that deception is necessary to win elections or stay in power. Leaders who choose to be truthful, even when it is politically inconvenient, can set a powerful example. In the long term, honesty fosters trust, strengthens institutions, and cultivates a more engaged and informed electorate.
I can’t say that I’m optimistic that any of these steps will be taken. I’ve been around 74 years and have watched the steady decline of political and civil discourse in this country. The advent of social media platforms has accelerated that decline, of course, but decline it has.
“We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter. Half a truth is often a great lie.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jim Powers writes editorials that reflect his personal opinions. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.
