Risk and Society

Understanding the reality of risks in society


“An avalanche of advances will be forthcoming in the sphere of science and technology is not a matter of surmise. The new types of energy released by the atom and controlled by the electron have already proved highly effective. The features of vital technical growths can be discerned in numberless embryos in the womb of science: our amazing network of research laboratories. But these features will be matched by even more significant developments in the political, social, and moral spheres. Indeed, the pressures of technical changes will themselves intensify problems of adjustment, forcing us to seek solutions in line with our ideals of a good society.”
– David Sarnoff, the founder of RCA and modern radio and television communications, wrote an article titled The Fabulous Future

Applying wisdom to risk assessment

David Sarnoff, the founder of RCA and modern radio and television communications, wrote these words 50 years ago. Sarnoff praised the positive impact of engineering and science. He also noted that unfounded “disparagement” of science and engineering was going to grow in this century. This challenge persists today.

The United States is the most technologically advanced society in history. Science and engineering is driving our modern global market economy faster than ever. New scientific discoveries enrich lives, provide people a more comprehensive perspective of their world and the universe. Modern science also allows man to delve more deeply into the environment in which we live to evaluate how these new discoveries can pose new risks to society. Advanced electron-microscopes and computer technology enable scientists to find substances in our food and environment that were invisible in previous decades that could be presumed to be a risk to human health and safety. All of these advances make us healthier, and one would hope, wiser.

The increased awareness and concerns about terrorism and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina have significantly increased the time and financial resources being spent by the public and private sectors to reduce these risks.

A host of ethical issues impact the ability of the public and private sectors to deal with these risks. For example, over the past century there has been increasing concern about the impact of technology on mankind presented in books, motion pictures, news reports, and commentaries from all sorts of advocates. There have also been demands for government and the private sector to protect workers and the public from all sorts of real and perceived risks. These concerns motivated policy makers to take action to protect public health. But some would contend the initiatives were misplaced and created unwarranted public fear.

David Sarnoff made the case of the need for society to thoughtfully approach the impact of science and engineering and society. A free society must deal with the benefits and problems of progress and change, and thoughtfully assess new challenges and threats. Decisions must be based upon fact, not emotion. In our democratic society, public understanding of risk issues will impact how elected officials deal with the challenges facing the country.







Immigration and the Economy, a forum on immigration and the economy, was held on Thursday December 11, 2008 in Phoenix. This session, with invited 82 Arizona leaders from government, business, and media, focused on the role of immigrants in the economy and the tradeoffs faced by policymakers in managing immigration.

The forum featured nationally recognized experts in immigration including scholars from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, the Heritage Foundation, and the Migration Policy Institute. Click here for a full list of the faculty.

Discussions of immigration have focused on the border, controlling illegal immigration, and reducing the number of undocumented workers through measures implemented at the state and federal level. Meanwhile, the current financial and economic crises have decreased economic growth and tax revenue and placed new pressures on the public and private sectors, especially impacting industries such as construction that employ large numbers of immigrant workers. The current economic crisis underscores the importance of understanding the role of immigrants in the economy and their associated costs and benefits.

Illegal immigrants entering the country can have significant costs for local taxpayers, however research reveals illegal immigrants can also make a net positive financial contribution to the national and many state economies. Unfortunately those benefits accrue to the Federal level and are not usually enjoyed at the local level. The Federal Government has done little to deal with this imbalance. Meanwhile, the economic growth immigrants create generates local tax revenue and, as the current economic downturn illustrates, government is better able to meet its fiscal obligations with a robust economy than during an economic downturn.

The dilemma, therefore, is to understand what Arizona’s economy needs from the immigration system and how to maximize the net economic and fiscal benefits of immigrant workers. The reality is that the population of the United States is not growing. Immigrants have been and will continue to be an important source of new workers to generate economic growth and the tax revenue. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare require a growing population to meet the expanded demands as growing numbers of Americans retire.


Faculty
The faculty and panelists included: