Trust in American government has steadily declined since the 1960 and 70s, when Americans learned that the war in Vietnam was based on lies. Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Clinton impeachment, and the run up to the invasion of Iraq contributed to the collapse in faith in the government. Now, the president cites “alternative facts,” distortions, untruths and outright lies every day of the week. Fact checks are “fake news.” How can a government and a society function without a shared sense of reality and truth? And, as each side retreats to their respective media echo chambers, how can we work to restore faith in the purpose and practice of government?