The theme of the 2001 Panetta Lecture Series was "People and Policy in the America of the 21st Century" and examined the challenges of foreign policy, electoral politics and governance, cross-generational change, and political satire. Guest speakers included former secretary of state Madeleine Albright; campaign strategist James Carville; television commentator Bill O'Reilly; NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw; actor, director and producer Clint Eastwood; and political satirist Mark Russell