5/24/2006

True Blue vs. Deep Red: The Ideas that Move American Politics
Allan Carlson Participates In Bradley Symposium Conversation With America’s Leading Conservative Thinkers and Writers

May 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Allan Carlson, President of the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society and Founder of the World Congress of Families will take part in the 2006 Bradley Symposium, “What Is the Big Idea?” at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 25, 2006, 8:30 am. The Hudson Institute's Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal will host this year's Bradley Symposium, featuring a conversation among America's leading conservative thinkers and writers. The symposium also honors the winners of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation's 2006 Bradley Prizes.

Dr. Carlson is one of America's 18 leading conservative thinkers that will discuss the 2006 elections, the deep divisions within America’s politics, and the “foundational ideas” about nature, history and religion that lie behind these divisions. Questions to be discussed include: Are our political divisions indeed significant and based on such grand themes? Or can they be explained by more superficial social and economic divisions? Is a politics driven and divided by large and contrasting ideas dangerous and volatile? Or is it healthy and vigorous – the source of American renewal? Should think tanks and foundations seek to sharpen and enrich those ideas, or should they rather attempt to moderate and bridge major intellectual divides?

The other commentators who will participate in the discussion include: Michael Barone (U.S. News & World Report), Karlyn Bowman (American Enterprise Institute), David Brooks (The New York Times), Tammy Bruce (“Tammy Bruce Show”), James Ceaser (University of Virginia), Francis Fukuyama (The Johns Hopkins University), Robert George (Princeton University), Hugh Hewitt (“Hugh Hewitt Show” & Chapman University Law School), Tamar Jacoby (Manhattan Institute), Amy Kass (Hudson Institute), William Kristol (The Weekly Standard), Brink Lindsey (Cato Institute), Wilfred McClay (University of Tennessee & Ethics and Public Policy Center), Charles Murray (American Enterprise Institute), Matthew Spalding (Heritage Foundation), and Shelby Steele (Hoover Institution).

Allan Carlson is the author of many books, including “Fractured Generations: Crafting Family Policy for the 21st Century,” “The American Way: Family and Community In the Shaping of the American Identity” and “Family Questions: Reflections on the American Social Crisis.” His new book, “Conjugal America: On The Public Purposes of Marriage” will be available this September from Transaction Publishers. The Washington Post, Weekly Standard, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and numerous other publications have featured his writings. He has also appeared on PBS News Hour, NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Voice of America, ABC, CBS, and NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, and C-SPAN. For Carlson’s complete bio visit www.profam.org  or click on: http://www.profam.org/people/xthc_acc.htm .

To request more information about this event contact Krista Shaffer at Krista@hudson.org  or 202- 974-2424.

The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society is an independent, non-profit research and education center that strives to be the leading source of fresh ideas and new strategies for affirmation and defense of the natural family, both nationally and globally. The Howard Center is also the founder and organizer of the World Congress of Families project which unites people of goodwill who recognize that the family is the fundamental unit of society and coordinates the efforts of pro-family groups from more the 60 countries worldwide. More information is available at www.profam.org  and www.worldcongress.org .