federal land grants helped build our railroads in the 19th century. in the 20th century, federal and state funds built the highways that powered the automobile industry. >> you wouldn't have a personal computer if it wasn't for the space program and the missile program. they shrank computers to put them into guidance systems on missiles. it wasn't something, somebody was like, gee, it would be nice to have a computer on my lap. that happened later when geniuses like steve jobs turned it into a commercial entity. but the basic science, the basic r&d, came from the government. >> another way government can jump-start progress is smart, forward-thinking policy. and listen to this, it has worked before. if you're of a certain age, you may remember the panic over a growing hole in the ozone layer and another potential environmental catastrophe known as acid rain. the ozone crisis was mitigated by a worldwide ban on cfcs, chlorofluorocarbons which once powered aerosol spray cans. acid rain was dealt with in