Tools for Citizens
How to Evaluate a Claim
A mental checklist for fact-checking.
When you hear a political claim, pause. Do not accept it. Do not reject it. Test it.
The Evaluation Framework
- What is the source, and what incentive does it have?
- Is this a fact claim or a value claim?
- What evidence would change my mind?
- Has this been verified by sources with different incentives?
- Am I reacting emotionally — and why?
Why This Is Hard
Our brains are pattern-recognition machines, not truth-detection machines. We are wired to accept information that confirms what we already believe. The evaluation framework is a tool to override that bias.