Americans Must Challenge Government Bias Before It’s Too Late

Over 50% of Americans believe that the past was better than it really was (Writer). This common idea, fueled by nostalgia and emotion, shapes how people remember history-and how they see the government today. The illusion of the past often causes people to believe that it was better than the present. The source “False Nostalgia” by Johan Norberg, who authored many well-regarded books and documentaries which all mainly focuses on how historical beliefs shape political and economic thoughts, highlights many issues in the world; but one major concern that should be addressed is how biased memory affects the public’s view of politics. Norberg mentions that the public shouldn’t trust politicians, government officials, or the government as a whole. The influence of biased memory on the public's understanding of government policies has increased rapidly over the years. Judith Binney is a respected professor at the University of Auckland, who is also known for her extensive research on Maori history and oral traditions. She focuses mainly on how biased memory affects the current society. Many historians try to erase Maori history and memories of the past which would then lead to many misunderstandings in today’s society. Binney’s article: “Maori Oral Narratives, Pakeha Written Texts” says that the telling of history has never been neutral whether it be oral or written (213). This distortion of memory not only impacts historical understanding but also flares up political protest and riots, as many citizens form opinions based on manipulated narratives. When memories are influenced by emotion, nostalgia, or even selective storytelling, it becomes so much easier for politicians to manipulate public opinion for their own benefit. In many communities biased memories contribute to the distrust in the government. By looking at how memory is passed on through generations, can people begin to find the root of many political misunderstandings today. Historians shouldn’t change history just because they don’t like it or agree with it, the past is the past. Gao and Ma reveal in a study from the BCP Social Sciences & Humanities that “[m]emories were selectively removed from the media” (84). Moreover Jacobs, a researcher in urban and biased memory states that social media has always exaggerated information making it appear worse than it really was (33). With the rise of social media, misinformation, and selective media coverage, people often receive false news that lead them to believe distorted versions of political events, which affects their trust in the government. If the public will come together to preserve identity, culture, and memory-especially when something is at risk of being forgotten, lost, or ignored, the issue of biased memory effects on the public could be avoided or reduced. Biased memory affects the public understanding of political history, shapes public opinion through selective media, and reduces trust in the government policies. This brings up the question: Should efforts be made to reduce the influence of biased memory on public understanding of government policies in America?

There are many causes of this issue and one of them is how biased memory distortspublic understanding of political history. A previously mentioned author, Norberg, says that “[w]e should beware of politicians, populists, and parents who claim that things were better in the past and that we should try to recreate that former world” (13). False and biased memories of the past often are used by political leaders to change/manipulate the public opinion. Another article posted by the PLOS ONE journal from a credible study group, found that depression, anxiety, and overall negative feelings are heavily influenced by memory bias; if this is not stopped the symptoms of depression and negative feelings will continue to increase overtime (Urban et al. 11). When people believe a false version of history, they are supporting harmful policies and increasing the likelihood of mental illnesses. This makes biased memory not just a political problem but a public health issue as well. Hearing false versions of the past can cause people to feel like today’s world is broken or even hopeless, thus increasing depression and distrust among our communities. Political leaders who rely on false nostalgia are not just misleading the public, but also damaging the mental state of the people they serve. If biased memory continues to spread like this, society will grow more disconnected from reality, making it more difficult to solve these issues. Furthermore, Christopher R. Madan, well-known for his research on memory, decision-making, and the interaction between memory and behavior states that this disconnection from reality is the result of how biased memory-whether in politics, history, or media, plays a huge role in someone's behavior and decision-making (102). Changing information on political history influences the way the public thinks about government officials which could then lead up to unimaginable riots, protests, and many more consequences. Madan also insists that memory research can help improve government decisions because it would help them understand how people remember and misinterpret past political events (105). By understanding how memory works, government officials can then create better communication strategies and design policies that the public needs. This would also help avoid repeating past mistakes by learning how memories influences trust, voting, and human-behavior. There are many recent studies that have shown that many individuals' judgments are based on memory, and most of those memories contain inaccurate information because of false news. Biased memory and political history can often mislead the public and influence support for policies that are based on false versions of the past.

Media also plays a role in reinforcing selective or false memories. Many historians have erased Maori memories and perceptions as well as misrepresented Indigenous histories, leading to a loss of cultural identity and misrepresentation of their past (Binney 16). Binney highlights the impact of biased memory and misrepresentation of history can have on how a society understands its past. Erasing of the past can alter public opinions and cultural identity. Another study published by the PLOS ONE journal from a well-established research group declares that “Trump supporters were more likely than other supporters to report seeing at least one incident, although they did not occur in the clip even once” (Hennessey et al. 8). This further proves that biased individuals tend to spread false news to create chaos among the public and this could then lead to heavy protests and riots. Additionally, an unbiased study published by the Journal of Social and Political Psychology points out that exposure to false information can be difficult to correct as news tends to spread rapidly (Grady et al. 8). Exposure to misinformation can change the public's perspective of political events and government policies substantially. If false news is not corrected, it can lead to long-lasting misunderstandings that will influence policy support, engagements in political affairs, and much more. This addresses the urgency of biased memory and its effects on public opinion in America, where misinformation can spread rapidly. The spread of false news through social media and the twisting of historical narratives changes the public’s view, making it very important to confront the impact of biased memory on societal understanding.

Another important aspect is that reducing bias in memory can improve how much people trust the government and democratic engagement. Current research shows that biased memory often affects people's views of political affairs, which can affect public trust in government policies when people rely on selective memories (Aldrovandi 48). Silvio Aldrovandi, an academic researcher at the City University London who looks into memory and judgement, says that memories when shaped by biases can change how individuals view government policies and government officials. Relying on selective memories can form inaccurate judgements, often leading to misinformed political decisions. Furthermore, Paula T. Hertel, a well established expert in psychology, Tanya B, a researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), and Jutta Joormann, who went to Yale University, agrees that “[m]odifying interpretation biases may not only hold great promise because it affects the interpretation of novel scenarios and responses to stressors, but changes in interpretation may also affect memory” (Tran et al. 146). Despite this, a study published by the journal Nostalgia as a Resource for the Self by a team of researchers argues that nostalgia acts as a protective resource that affirms the self (Vess et al. 10). While nostalgia memories may sometimes seem positive, they often prevent individuals from seeing today's political issues. Nostalgic memories could also make people view the past more positively, but then again it could also lead to biased views on politics and historical events. The article “How Cognitive Biases Affect Our Interpretation of Political Messages” by Martin McKee, a respected researcher and David Stuckler, who is famous for his research on the political systems, found that politicians get plenty of backlash for making promises that they then fail to keep (2). As a result, getting the right information and addressing these biases can help restore public trust and improve democratic engagements. This will also ensure that citizens have the right information which will contribute to a more fair democracy. Overall, if society works on improving how people view political issues, public trust in the government will significantly increase.

In summary, the influence of biased memory on public understanding of government policies have increased rapidly over the years. This issue is not just in politics—biased memory also affects the way societies view communities, history, and justice. An article published by the journal Frontiers in Public Health, written by François Lechanoine, a well-known researcher for his studies on decision making and by Katlyn Gangi, a trusted author because of her help to public health research, have claimed that “[c]ognitive biases strike every human being—even physicians” (2). Recognizing the problem of biased memory is the first step toward fixing the relationship between the public and the political systems. Addressing biased memory now will strengthen the nation's democracy and will prevent more protests. The current system suggests many implications such as reduced biased memory can increase public trust, limit the spread of false news, strengthen democracy, create a stable political environment, and much more. A national education campaign would help reduce the impact of selective memory; this would give people accurate information to make well-informed choices and restore trust in the democratic process. In addition, such a campaign would teach students and adults more about the past, present politics, and also show them how to discern if something is biased or not. Whether it be on the internet, news articles, political speeches, or even in conversations, being able to tell if something is biased or not could help individuals’ avoid it. This national educational campaign is not just a solution for all of this but also a cover for the truth that the public desperately needs. If something is not implemented to stop this, then false news will keep spreading to future generations, dividing society even more. Biased memory could also lead to major misunderstandings about political intentions, policies, and even historical events. The long-term consequences would be unimaginable as people wouldn't want more manipulation by political workers to spread. There are several ways to address this issue, but ideally a national educational campaign should be implemented to limit the effects of biased memory and ensure citizens receive accurate information about government policies. By establishing a national education campaign, society can increase media awareness and give a better understanding of political history and government decisions. If people want to create a more informed and engaged society for future generations, communities must first confront the biases that affect society. Only through accurate information and self-awareness can society rebuild their trust in the government.

Works Cited

Aldrovandi, Silvio . City Research Online. May 2009. pp.1-199, https://doi.org/openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/1085/Accessed 5 April 2025

Binney, Judith. "Maori Oral Narratives, Pakeha Written Texts: Two Forms of Telling History."

AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation,

compiled by College Board, 2025, pp. 15-25. Originally published in New Zealand

Journal of History, Vol. 38, Number 2. October 2004.Accessed 5 April 2025

Gao, Yang, and Haozhe Ma. “Selective Bias in the Collective Memory of News Public Opinion and Reflections on Governance: The Case of Watergate Scandal.” BCP Social Sciences & Humanities , vol. vol.21, 2023, pp. 82–87, file:///C:/Users/19175/Downloads/ASSSD2022-82-87.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Grady, Rebecca, et al. “From Primary to Presidency: Fake News, False Memory, and Changing Attitudes in the 2016 Election.” Journal of Social and Political Psychology , vol. vol.11, 23 Mar. 2023, pp. 6–24, file:///C:/Users/19175/Downloads/10203-Article-92713-1-10-20230316.pdf, https://jspp.psychopen.eu/index.php/jspp/article/view/10203.Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Hennessey, Eden, et al. “How Political Partisanship Can Shape Memories and Perceptions of Identical Protest Events.” PLOS ONE, 22 Nov. 2021, pp. 1–13, file:///C:/Users/19175/Downloads/journal.pone.0259416.pdf, https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259416. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Works Cited

Jacobs, A. J. “Political Power, Collective Memory, and American Central Cities: The Discourses of the Conservative Elite`s Counter-Memory of the City.” The Open Urban Studies Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, 1 Dec. 2008, pp. 25–34, https://doi.org/10.2174/1874942900801010025. Accessed 4 April 2025

Lechanoine, François, and Katlyn Gangi. “COVID-19: Pandemic of Cognitive Biases Impacting Human Behaviors and Decision-Making of Public Health Policies.” Frontiers in Public Health, vol. vol. 8, 24 Nov. 2020, pp. 1–2,\ file:///C:/Users/19175/Downloads/fpubh-08-613290.pdf, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.613290. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Madan, Christopher R. “Memory Can Define Individual Beliefs and Identity—and Shape Society.” Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 11, no. 1, 13 Dec. 2023, pp. 102-105, https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322231220258.Accessed 5 April 2025

McKee, M., and D. Stuckler. “How Cognitive Biases Affect Our Interpretation of Political Messages.” BMJ, vol. 340, no. apr 27 1, 27 Apr. 2010, pp. 1-2, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c2276. Accessed 5 April 2025

Norberg, Johan. "False Nostalgia." AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation, compiled by College Board, 2025, pp. 8-13. Originally published in Reason Magazine, January 2022.Accessed 5 April 2025

Tran, Tanya B., et al. “Cognitive Bias Modification: Induced Interpretive Biases Affect Memory.” Emotion, vol. 11, no. 1, 2011, pp. 145–152, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021754.Accessed 5 April 2025

Works Cited

Urban, Emily J., et al. “Depression History and Memory Bias for Specific Daily Emotions.” PLOS ONE, vol. 13, no. 9, 7 Sept. 2018, pp.1-16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203574. Accessed 5 April 2025

Vess , Matthew , et al. Nostalgia as a Resource for the Self. 2012, pp. 1–22, https://doi.org/eprints.soton.ac.uk/341148/1/Vess_et_al.%252C_2012%252C_Self_and_Identity.eprints.doc. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.