Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg

Season 2

Discussion show focusing on trends, conditions, and ideas behind the week's headlines.

Where to Watch Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg • Season 2

42 Episodes

The brain vs. the mind: Has Freud slipped?
E1
The brain vs. the mind: Has Freud slipped?Was Sigmund Freud correct in his theory that most mental illnesses are rooted in childhood trauma, often-sexual trauma?
What about the next 100 months?
E2
What about the next 100 months?The first hundred days of the new Republican Congress are over. Most of the "Contract with America" has been passed by the House and awaits scrutiny by the Senate and the president. Is this the beginning of the end, or just the end of the beginning?
The state of the Earth
E3
The state of the EarthThis spring marks the 25th anniversary of Earth Day. What's happened? What lies ahead? Will mankind overwhelm Mother Nature, or will new technologies and economic progress enable us to tread ever more lightly upon the earth?
The sins of our fathers?
E4
The sins of our fathers?The current welfare debate has focused attention on single mothers. But that's not enough. What about the fathers? The number of in-house fathers is quickly decreasing, as illegitimacy rates are rising steadily.
Are two parties enough?
E5
Are two parties enough?America has a unique two-party political system. Does it still work?
Victory in Europe: Fifty years later
E6
Victory in Europe: Fifty years laterFifty years ago the war in Europe ended. Liberation and celebration swept through Europe and America. What was at stake? Are there lessons for us today?
Affirmative action and reaction
E7
Affirmative action and reactionThink Tank discusses the heated issue of affirmative action with distinguished professor, Lani Guiner.
Some taxing ideas
E8
Some taxing ideasTax reform fever is sweeping Congress: the flat tax, the national sales tax, and the value-added tax. Why should we change the current system? Think Tank examines the current proposals that would greatly simplify the tax code.
Will immigrants harm America?
E9
Will immigrants harm America?America takes in more immigrants than the rest of the world combined, but legal immigration is now under serious attack. An old argument with a new face is surfacing, and it says that the new immigrants are smothering the American culture.
Does gun control work?
E10
Does gun control work?There are now 200 million guns in America, and there are intense outcries to limit those who can own guns. Can we limit guns? Do guns really threaten our safety or can they perhaps increase personal security?
Bosnia: What's in it for us?
E11
Bosnia: What's in it for us?Now in 1995, war is ravaging Bosnia, and the United States and its allies are trying to keep the peace. Think Tank discusses the benefits and consequences of American intervention in war-torn Bosnia.
Does Hollywood hurt America?
E12
Does Hollywood hurt America?There is a great deal of sex and violence on television, in the movies, and in our popular music. Does this lead to unacceptable behavior? Is this coarsening our lives? Or are sex and violence age-old staples of art and literature?
Taking the pulse of a nation
E13
Taking the pulse of a nationWith 17 months until the 1996 elections, it is time to check the pulse of the public and get a sense of what voters are thinking.
A conversation with Catharine MacKinnon
E14
A conversation with Catharine MacKinnonCatharine MacKinnon is one of the most brilliant, original, and uncompromising feminist theoreticians in America. Think Tank discusses one on one with Ms. MacKinnon the modern women's movement, sexism in America, and pornography.
How different are men and women?
E15
How different are men and women?Do men and women think differently? If so, could these differences be inherent in our genetic makeup and in our brains? What implications would that have for women? And what would it mean for men?
The new illustrated guide of the American economy
E16
The new illustrated guide of the American economyThe American economy generates a lot of facts and figures. Often they're more confusing than illuminating, more biased than impartial. How is the nation's economy doing? Have middle-class incomes gone up or down? Are the rich getting richer and the poorer?
Does affirmative action divide us or unite us?
E17
Does affirmative action divide us or unite us?Affirmative action has taken center stage in the current political debate. Now, is affirmative action necessary to correct historical wrongs against minorities and women, or is it a racial and gender spoils system that is dividing America?
A conversation with Michael Howard
E18
A conversation with Michael HowardThink Tank talks one on one with Michael Howard, one of the world's leading authorities on war, power, and military strategy, about America's status in war history and the country's future as a dominant power.
Is the relationship with Britain still special?
E19
Is the relationship with Britain still special?For a very long time, America and Britain had what diplomats call "a special relationship." It was built on a common heritage of language, law, and culture.
Collision between science and religion
E20
Collision between science and religionAs modern science advances, and the theories of evolution and creationism continue to clash, do God and religion retreat to the remaining gaps in our knowledge of the universe? And is science eroding the moral sense?
The end of racism: Part 1
E21
The end of racism: Part 1In this two-part episode, Think Tank discusses the issue of race, through an examination of the controversial new book entitled The End of Racism.
The end of racism: Part 2
E22
The end of racism: Part 2In this two-part episode, Think Tank discusses the issue of race, through an examination of the controversial new book entitled The End of Racism.
Is this the end of the welfare state?
E23
Is this the end of the welfare state?The Republican Senate is stirring. Liberal programs long thought to be off limits to politicians are on the table. Some observers say that what is going on signals the repeal of the New Deal, the death knell of the Great Society.
Has the crime wave crested?
E24
Has the crime wave crested?Crime is the number one issue in America today, but violent crime rates are now dropping. Does this mean that the worst is behind us, or might it turn out to be just the calm before the storm?
The vision of the anointed
E25
The vision of the anointedThink Tank converses one-on-one with author Thomas Sowell about his new book, The Vision of the Anointed, which argues that the assumptions and beliefs of America's liberal elite have created thirty years of disaster.
Islam and the West: Is there a clash of cultures?
E26
Islam and the West: Is there a clash of cultures?The Islamic population of the world is over one billion people and growing. Through the centuries, Islamic and Western cultures have often been at odds even though their teachings share many of the same basic tenets.
Is corporate welfare worth it?
E27
Is corporate welfare worth it?The new Congress is trying to cut the budget, and some observers are saying that if the budget cutters are really serious, they must cut welfare-corporate welfare.
The state of the unions
E28
The state of the unionsThe recent AFL-CIO election brought new leaders to America's labor movement. What happens next? Think Tank discusses the state of American labor.
Can the CIA be fixed?
E29
Can the CIA be fixed?The Central Intelligence Agency is under heavy fire. A traitor at CIA headquarters betrayed spies in the field, sold secrets to the Soviets, and now it is charged that the agency knowingly gave tainted information to the president. Can the CIA be fixed?
Are lawyers ruining America?
E30
Are lawyers ruining America?There has been a great deal of attention focused on America's criminal justice system lately, but what about our civil justice system? Americans and American companies spend billions of dollars suing each other every year.
A conversation with Todd Gitlin
E31
A conversation with Todd GitlinThink Tank reports from the front lines of the culture wars, by talking with former anti-war radical and now astute cultural observer Todd Gitlin. In his new book, The Twilight of Common Dreams.
Can conservatives be compassionate?
E32
Can conservatives be compassionate?Can conservatives change their reputation as heartless, miserly people, concerned only for their own well being? What are their stances on issues such as charitable giving versus government giving?
1995: The year in ideas
E33
1995: The year in ideasOn this episode of Think Tank, renowned scholars analyze what some sources have deemed the consequential ideas of 1995. Discussion includes references to the ideas of shame, the anxious class, devolution, and the new thinking of race.
The battle of the budget in plain English
E34
The battle of the budget in plain EnglishThe battle of the budget rages in Washington and it has a vocabulary of its own: CBO, OMB, baselines, entitlements, and debt ceilings. What does it all mean? Is it petty bickering or historic change? And whatever happened to plain English?
Rights and wrongs of American elections
E35
Rights and wrongs of American electionsDuring this election year, American democracy is once again under harsh scrutiny. Many voters are fed up with the tone, the cost, the length, and the unfairness of our elections. But is all the criticism warranted?
Is Satan dead?
E36
Is Satan dead?Andrew Delbanco's new book says that Satan is dead. Do we need the devil to keep us on the straight and narrow, or perhaps does Satan provide some people with an excuse to do the inexcusable?
Global warming: Is it serious?
E37
Global warming: Is it serious?The many recent press reports about eminent effects of global warming seem to have left many Americans curious as to their accuracy, in light of the recent snow storms that marked the winter months. Is the earth really overheating?
The American scandal machine
E38
The American scandal machineSubpoenas are flying around the White House and the Clintons are in hot water over Whitewater. Meanwhile, the speaker of the house, Newt Gingrich, is under investigation by a special counsel. Are these real scandals?
Can civil society be restored?
E39
Can civil society be restored?Is the era of big government over? If so, what can fill the large role it once assumed? Many intellectuals point to civil society. They say that America must strengthen its neighborhoods, families, civic clubs, churches, and schools.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
E40
Who is Abraham Lincoln?Lincoln has been called many things: savior, tyrant, liberator, racist, saint, poet, idealist, pragmatist. It has been said that every generation and almost every cause recasts Lincoln for its own purposes.
A third choice in 1996
E41
A third choice in 1996Unhappiness with the two major parties is growing, along with the number of registered independent voters. Will independent candidates such as Ross Perot run for the presidency? How likely is it that there will be a third party candidate in the 1996?
The heart and soul of conservatism
E42
The heart and soul of conservatismThe battle of the Republican nomination appears to have ended, but a different struggle over the nature of conservatism rages on. Which ideas will flourish in the Republican Party? Which vision might capture the imagination of Americans?