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« Back to Prisons main page    Related Programs for: PrisonsHere are some previous Think Tank programs that may be of interest.What’s on the Mind of the "Radical Middle"? (aired 2/1/2001) This week, Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg talks to two dyed-in-the-wool policy wonks to find out what's on their agenda. Isabel Sawhill and Rudolph Penner are co-authors of "Updating America¹s Social Contract: Economic Growth and Opportunity in the New Century," Together, they lay out an agenda for the "radical middle," arguing that politicians "seem more interested in a symbolic victory ... than in working to find common ground on substantive issues." Penner and Sawhill stake out that common ground and urge policy reforms to improve the safety net for the poor, shore up Social Security and Medicare, and foster productivity growth in the private sector. Leaving the politicians aside for a day, how would two policy wonks address America's most important domestic issues? Fukuyama 101 (aired 11/30/2000) Think Tank hosts celebrated author and social theorist, Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama, a public policy professor at George Mason University, discusses human nature and social order in his new book, “The Great Disruption.” Have we seen a drastic moral decline over the last 40 years? What caused it? And are we now on the road to recovering from this Great Disruption? Fukuyama explains his latest work and his earlier books, “The End of History and The Last Man” and “Trust,” as we analyze the interplay of the many levels on which modern society is built. Harvesting Biotechnology (aired 11/25/1999) Think Tank inspects genetically modified foods. These foods can be engineered to resist frosts, diseases, insects, and herbicides. Genetically modified crops now cover about a quarter of U.S. cropland. However, acceptance of this relatively new technology is not universal. European critics call GM foods “Frankenstein Foods,” and environmentalists worry that they could upset a delicately balanced ecosystem. Do existing benefits outweigh potential harms? Is Gambling A Sucker Bet? (aired 7/29/1999) Think Tank examines gambling in America. Many state and local governments who previously prosecuted gambling now actively promote it. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia host their own lotteries. But do the billions of dollars in revenue and the jobs created by the gaming industry outweigh gambling’s considerable social costs? Is America Turning the Corner? (aired 1/30/1999) Think Tank examines whether American culture is changing. Is this change, if any, for the betterment of American society? Is the sky still falling or is America moving ahead?  Think Tank is made possible by generous support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Donner Canadian Foundation, the Dodge Jones Foundation, and Pfizer, Inc. ©Copyright Think Tank. All rights reserved. 
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