Wisconsin Stories: Big Ideas

Wisconsin has a national reputation as a laboratory for social innovations that have made life better. That tradition is documented and celebrated in "Big Ideas," the final episode of the Wisconsin Stories season.

"Big Ideas" explores how the national treasure known as the Wisconsin Historical Society made history accessible to the public. Up until the development of the Society, history had been a pastime for the elite.

Also profiled is John Commons, who helped craft Progressive-era policies such as civil service, workers' compensation and utilities regulation.

Wisconsin's role in the dairy revolution is detailed. The cooperation between movers and shakers in the dairy industry and the University of Wisconsin helped pave the way for the modernizations that turned the state into America's Dairyland.

Milwaukee's ethnic festivals are the biggest of their kind in the world. "Big Ideas" delves into how the city became a place for celebration