Episodios

  • Australian Elections Redux, Code v Counsel: AI and the Law, the Jumbo in the Room

    Australian Elections Redux, Code v Counsel: AI and the Law, the Jumbo in the Room
    May 22 2025
    Join hosts Markus Wagner and David Turner on The Civic Podcast as they discuss the aftermath of the Australian elections (definitely not boring!) and dive into the future of law in an AI-driven world. In the post-election roundup in Australia they cover the collapse of the Liberal–National coalition, Labor’s overwhelming majority, and the surprising demotion of Labor front benchers Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic. Was this Richard Marles' doing or is Anthony Albanese showing his Machiavellian side? And does it damage the Labor brand? Markus and David offer fresh insight into what these shifts mean for the future of Australian politics—and why anyone abroad should be paying attention.They then dive deep into the uneasy intersection of AI and law. As trust in human lawyers wanes and AI-generated legal advice gains traction, are we witnessing a turning point—or a tech-fueled mirage? Markus and David explore whether generative AI is truly reshaping the path to justice, what it means for the legal profession and legal education, and whether we’re heading toward a two-tiered legal system. The episode closes with a look at what might never become Air Force One, but maybe the new Trump aircraft. A wide-ranging, provocative conversation you won’t want to miss.Links: Daron Acemoglu, Issue 129, 25 June 2024, Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. Emily Berman, A Government of Laws and Not of Machines, (2018) 98(5) Boston University Law Review 1277. Gillespie, N., Lockey, S., Ward, T., Macdade, A., & Hassed, G. (2025). Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: A global study 2025. The University of Melbourne and KPMG. Lee et al, The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking, 2025. Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, AI as Normal Technology, Knight First Amendment Institute, 15 April 2025. Opinion Lex, LLM vs LLB: the case for junior lawyers is undermined by AI, FT, 11 May 2025. Eike Schneiders, Joshua Krook and Tina Seabrooke, People trust legal advice generated by ChatGPT more than a lawyer – new study, The Conversation, 28 April 2025. Eike Schneiders, Tina Seabrooke, Joshua Krook, Richard Hyde, Natalie Leesakul, Jeremie Clos, and Joel E Fischer. 2025. Objection Overruled! Lay People can Distinguish Large Language Models from Lawyers, but still Favour Advice from an LLM. 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25). Stockdale, M., & Mitchell, R. (2019). Legal advice privilege and artificial legal intelligence: Can robots give privileged legal advice? The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, 23(4), 422. Ari Ezra Waldman, ‘Power, Process, and Automated Decision-Making’ (2019) 88(2) Fordham Law Review 613. Socials: ✅https://www.youtube.com/@TheCivicPodcast1✅https://x.com/TheCivicPodcast✅https://www.instagram.com/thecivicpodcast✅https://bsky.app/profile/thecivicpodcast.bsky.social✅https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-civic-podcastHosts:⁠⁠Markus Wagner⁠⁠⁠ is Professor of Law at the⁠ ⁠⁠University of Wollongong⁠⁠⁠, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after⁠ commentator on⁠ ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠⁠⁠. David Turner is a lawyer and software developer from Sydney, Australia. As the principal lawyer of⁠ ⁠⁠Empirical Legal⁠⁠⁠, David advises Australian startups, scale-ups and small businesses on corporate advisory and technology challenges. As a co-founder of⁠ ⁠⁠Lext⁠⁠⁠, David works to make the law easier to access and easier to practise through software. Lext develops its own software-as-a-service products, and also works with government agencies, law firms and not-for-profit organisations to develop technological solutions to law and justice problems.
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    40 m
  • Trade-Off(s): Making Sense of the Trump Tariffs w/ Stephen Vaughn

    Trade-Off(s): Making Sense of the Trump Tariffs w/ Stephen Vaughn
    May 16 2025
    Ever wondered how the Trump tariffs could possibly make sense? In this episode of The Civic Podcast, host Markus Wagner sits down with Stephen Vaughn, former General Counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative, for a spirited discussion on the Trump administration’s trade policy. They explore and discuss the rationale behind Trump’s tariff agenda, its impact on businesses, and the future of global trade governance. Vaughn, a partner at King & Spalding, offers an insider's perspective on Trump’s "America First" approach, challenges what is arguably the consensus among policy analysts and advocates for a trade philosophy that prioritizes American workers and national independence. Tune in to a timely conversation about power, politics, and the real-world trade-offs in a rapidly changing world in which "tariff threats work".Links: Giovanna Coi, US popularity collapses worldwide in wake of Trump’s return, Politico, 12 May 2025 Rachel F. Fefer, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, Congressional Research Service, 1 April 2022Gallup, Most Americans Skeptical About Benefits of Tariffs, 28 April 2025Tobias Gehrke, Cards on the table: Why the EU should negotiate Trump’s tariffs in three phases, European Council of Foreign Relations, 28 April 2025Nicolas Lamp, What President Trump’s “Reciprocal” Tariffs Mean for International (Trade) Law, EJIL:Talk!, 30 April 2025Donald MacKay, More US section 232 investigations underway – WTF is going on?, 1 May 2025Nira Data, Democracy Perception Index (DPI) 2025Mona Paulsen, The Past, Present, and Potential of Economic Security, forthcoming in Yale Journal of International Law, vol. 50, pp. ___ (2025)Li Yuan, There Are Two Chinas, and America Must Understand Both, New York Times, 13 May 2025Socials: ✅https://www.youtube.com/@TheCivicPodcast1✅https://x.com/TheCivicPodcast✅https://www.instagram.com/thecivicpodcast✅https://bsky.app/profile/thecivicpodcast.bsky.social✅https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-civic-podcastStephen Vaughn is a partner at the International Trade Team of King & Spalding. Prior to his current position, Stephen completed more than two years as the General Counsel's office of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In that position, he managed a team of government attorneys representing U.S. interests in both trade negotiations and trade litigation. While at USTR, Stephen was directly involved in numerous significant issues, including the USMCA, actions undertaken by the U.S. against China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and efforts to revise the Korea/U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). On the litigation side, he supervised U.S. litigation efforts before the World Trade Organization.Markus Wagner⁠⁠ is Professor of Law at the⁠ ⁠University of Wollongong⁠, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on⁠ ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠⁠.
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    1 h y 8 m
  • Electile Dysfunction: The 2025 Australian Elections

    Electile Dysfunction: The 2025 Australian Elections
    May 8 2025
    The outcome of Australia’s 2025 federal election shocked just about everyone. Co-hosts Markus Wagner and David Turner unpack the results: the landslide win for Labor resulting in a historic second term for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; how the Coalition is facing an identity crisis; the Greens’ growing pains; and the Teals’ staying power; and the curious case of the “Trumpets for Patriots”. Markus and David break down the numbers, the narratives, and the big lessons for all sides. Boring politics might be back—but that seems what the electorate wanted. Tune in to The Civic Podcast to find out.Links: ABC News, Ex-PMs farewell election analyst Antony Green after his final ABC Australia Votes broadcast, Australian Electoral Commission, Tally RoomAnnabel Crabb, Peter Dutton's platform infuriated women — and it likely lost him the election, ABC News, 4 May 2025Diego Garzia, Frederico Ferreira da Silva, Simon Maye, Affective Polarization in Comparative and Longitudinal Perspective, Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 87, Issue 1, Spring 2023, 219–231 Olivia Ireland, Clay Lucas and Bridie Smith, Bandt clings to Melbourne seat as members clash on party direction, 4 May 2025Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer, Jumbled messages and an un-electable leader drove Labor’s win, pollster claims, News.com, 4 May 2025Laura Silver, Most across 19 countries see strong partisan conflicts in their society, especially in South Korea and the U.S., Pew Research, 16 November 2022Chris Wallace, Labor wins with a superior campaign and weak opposition – now it’s time to make the second term really matter, The Conversation, 3 May 2025, Tongue in Cheek, Donald Trump Actually Quite Good At Uniting A Nation When It’s Not His Own, Betoota Advocate Recommendations: ⁠Ross Douthat, Interesting TimesJerome Doraisamy, Baking bad: Here, intellectual property lawyers weigh in on the extraordinary dispute between two of Australia’s most famous chefs, Lawyers Weekly, 5 May 2025Our Socials: ✅https://www.youtube.com/@TheCivicPodcast1✅https://x.com/TheCivicPodcast✅https://www.instagram.com/thecivicpodcast✅https://bsky.app/profile/thecivicpodcast.bsky.social✅https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-civic-podcastHosts:⁠Markus Wagner⁠⁠ is Professor of Law at the⁠ ⁠University of Wollongong⁠⁠, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on⁠ ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠⁠. David Turner is a lawyer and software developer from Sydney, Australia. As the principal lawyer of⁠ ⁠Empirical Legal⁠⁠, David advises Australian startups, scale-ups and small businesses on corporate advisory and technology challenges. As a co-founder of⁠ ⁠Lext⁠⁠, David works to make the law easier to access and easier to practise through software. Lext develops its own software-as-a-service products, and also works with government agencies, law firms and not-for-profit organisations to develop technological solutions to law and justice problems.
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    46 m
  • It's the End of the (Trade) World as We Know It w/ Deborah Elms

    It's the End of the (Trade) World as We Know It w/ Deborah Elms
    Apr 24 2025
    What’s behind the Trump tariff blitz – and where is it taking the global economy? In this episode of The Civic Podcast, host and law professor Markus Wagner is joined by trade expert Dr. Deborah Elms of the Hinrich Foundation to unpack the chaos and consequences of Trump’s tariff trade strategy. What’s really driving this sudden escalation? From a fixation on trade deficits, a disregard for political, constitutional and legal process, and operating outside of traditional economic parameters we explore why tariffs have become Trump's favorite tool and what the ensuing uncertainty means for global supply chains, American consumers, and U.S. allies and rivals alike.Markus Wagner and Deborah Elms break down how this tariff storm is not just reshaping trade – it’s destabilizing it. Whether you're a policy wonk or just trying to make sense of the headlines, this episode is your essential guide to understanding the past, present, and uncertain future of global trade.Links:Oren Cass, Stop Freaking Out. Trump’s Tariffs Can Still Work, New York Times, 8 April 2025Douglas Irwin, Even Americans Don’t Want Trump’s Barmy Tariffs, The Economist, 3 April 2025Mari Pangestu and Shiro Armstrong, What ASEAN can do to help avoid the US taking the system down with it, Channel News Asia, 23 April 2025Adam Posen, Trade Wars Are Easy to Lose, Foreign Affairs, 9 April 2025Ana Swanson and Tony Room, Trump Moves to Put New Tariffs on Computer Chips and Drugs, New York Times, 14 April 2025 Markus Wagner, These 3 Arguments are Part of the Long Game in Trump’s Trade Wars, The Conversation, 31 March 2025James Crabtree, Trump’s Tariffs Will Pay Off, for China, New York Times, 22 April 2025, Recommendations: Instead of our usual recommendations, Deborah Elms and Markus Wagner put together a list of writers, academics and commentators to follow. This list is by now means exhaustive. Richard Baldwin: IMD, LinkedIn, X/Twitter Alan Beattie: Financial Times, LinkedInShawn Donnan: Bloomberg, LinkedIn, X/Twitter Simon Evenett: IMD, LinkedIn, X/TwitterAna Swanson: New York Times, X/TwitterFollow Us on Socials: ✅https://www.youtube.com/@TheCivicPodcast1✅https://x.com/TheCivicPodcast✅https://www.instagram.com/thecivicpodcast✅https://bsky.app/profile/thecivicpodcast.bsky.social✅https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-civic-podcast⁠Markus Wagner⁠⁠ (https://markusawagner.com/about/) is Professor of Law at the⁠ ⁠University of Wollongong (https://scholars.uow.edu.au/markus-wagner) and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on⁠ ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠⁠ (https://markusawagner.com/media). Dr Deborah Elms (https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-elms) is the Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore (https://www.hinrichfoundation.com/profiles/experts-contributors/deborah-elms/). She previously founded and led the Asian Trade Centre and served as President of the Asia Business Trade Association. She has held senior roles in trade policy and research, including heading the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations and serving as senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University. Deborah serves on several international advisory boards related to trade, including UNESCAP’s Trade and Investment Negotiation Adviser.
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    1 h y 7 m
  • How Vulnerable Are Democracies? The German Elections with Maximilian Steinbeis

    How Vulnerable Are Democracies? The German Elections with Maximilian Steinbeis
    Apr 11 2025
    Dive into the complexities of German politics after the recent federal elections in this insightful episode of The Civic Podcast: Beyond the Echo Chambers. Join hosts David Turner and Markus Wagner as they speak with German law and politics expert Maximilian Steinbeis about the rise of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and its impact on the political landscape. We unpack the challenges facing traditional parties and the intricacies of Germany’s coalition system. Explore the drivers behind the increasing support for radical parties. And discuss the deep-seated East-West divide reflected in the election results and topics such as migration, economic uncertainty and Germany’s shifting role in Europe and beyond. Gain a nuanced understanding of the potential future of German governance and its broader implications on the global stage. This episode goes beyond surface-level headlines to provide a comprehensive analysis of Germany's shifting political terrain.Links: Frank Decker, Stages in the AfD party history, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, 2 December 2022.Thomas Escritt, German coalition collapses: What comes next?, Reuters, 7 November 2025. Florian Meinel & Maximilian Steinbeis, The End of the Centre, Verfassungsblog, 7 February 2025. Maximilian Steinbeis, Die verwundbare Demokrati: Strategien gegen die populistische Übernahme, 2025. Rachel Treisman, Elon Musk faces criticism for encouraging Germans to move beyond ‘past guilt’, 27 January 2025. Markus Wagner, These 3 Arguments Are Part of the Long Game in Trump’s Trade Wars, The Conversation, 31 March 2025. Recommendations: ⁠AI 2027: AI 2027 scenario is the first major release from the AI Futures Project.Good Bye Lenin: In October 1989, right before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Alex (Daniel Brühl) is living with his mother Christiane (Kathrin Sass) and his sisterAriane (Maria Simon). His mother, a loyal Socialist party member, falls into a coma and misses the revolution. The family pretends the revolution didn’t happen …⁠Markus Wagner⁠⁠ is Professor of Law at the⁠ ⁠University of Wollongong⁠⁠, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on⁠ ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠⁠. Social media handles: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠X⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠.Max Steinbeis is a German lawyer by education and a writer by profession. He is the founder and director of Verfassungsblog as well as the author of several books, with the latest being “Die verwundbare Demokratie” (The Vulnerable Democracy) in which he analyses the strategies being used to establish an authoritarian regime. His social media handles include: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.David Turner is a lawyer and software developer from Sydney, Australia. As the principal lawyer of⁠ ⁠Empirical Legal⁠⁠, David advises Australian startups, scale-ups and small businesses on corporate advisory and technology challenges. As a co-founder of⁠ ⁠Lext⁠⁠, David works to make the law easier to access and easier to practise through software. Lext develops its own software-as-a-service products, and also works with government agencies, law firms and not-for-profit organisations to develop technological solutions to law and justice problems. Social media handles: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠.
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    1 h y 26 m
  • Law(yers) in the Firing Line with Prof David Luban

    Law(yers) in the Firing Line with Prof David Luban
    Mar 28 2025
    In this episode, co-hosts David Turner and Markus Wagner dive into the Trump administration’s escalating conflicts with the legal profession and their wider impact on democracy. Together with Georgetown Law Professor David Luban they unpack President Trump’s push for control over all branches of government and how his attacks on law firms echo similar efforts against universities and the media. They discuss the Executive Orders against lawyers and law firms such as Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie and how such action is meant to coerce lawyers and law firms to stop representing clients opposed to the administration. The episode explores how new policies, including sanctions on lawyers opposing the government, echo the “Dual State” concept from 1930s Germany. Is this a slide toward autocracy? Join the hosts as they dissect the weaponization of legal institutions, the erosion of democratic norms, and what this means for the future of the rule of law. Links: American Bar Association, The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal professionAnna Bauer, Brad Karp email to Paul Weiss staff, X.com Associate Open Letter Matthew Diller, Lawyers Must Not Stay Quiet in Face of Trump Attack on Firms, Bloomberg Law The Editorial Board, Who Will Defend the Defenders of the Constitution?, The New York TimesErica L. Green, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Maggie Haberman, How Trump Is Trying to Consolidate Power Over Courts, Congress and More, The New York TimesStephen I. Vladeck, Trump Is Breaking Things. They Can’t All Be Fixed by the Courts, The New York TimesThe White House, Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court The White House, Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLPThe White House, Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal CourtJasper Ward and Mike Scarcella, Trump withdraws order targeting Paul Weiss, says law firm promised free legal work, ReutersStaci Zaretsky, A Third-Year Skadden Associate Is The Only Person In Biglaw Willing To Publicly Condemn Trump's Threat To The Rule Of Law, Above the Law Recommendations: The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge WorkersCity of God, movie and bookMarkus Wagner⁠ is Professor of Law at the ⁠University of Wollongong⁠, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on ⁠TV, radio and other news outlets⁠. Social media handles: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Bluesky⁠.David Luban is a University Professor and Professor of Law and Philosophy. Since 2013, he has also served as Class of 1984 Distinguished Chair in Ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. His research interests center on moral and legal responsibility in organizational settings, including law firms, government, and the military. In addition to legal ethics, he writes on international criminal law, national security, and just war theory. His current project is a book on the moral and legal philosophy of Hannah Arendt. His social media handles include: ⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠.David Turner is a lawyer and software developer from Sydney, Australia. As the principal lawyer of ⁠Empirical Legal⁠, David advises Australian startups, scale-ups and small businesses on corporate advisory and technology challenges. As a co-founder of ⁠Lext⁠, David works to make the law easier to access and easier to practise through software. Lext develops its own software-as-a-service products, and also works with government agencies, law firms and not-for-profit organisations to develop technological solutions to law and justice problems. Social media handles: ⁠LinkedIn⁠.
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    1 h y 3 m
  • The First 50 Days of Trump with Prof Steve Vladeck

    The First 50 Days of Trump with Prof Steve Vladeck
    Mar 13 2025
    In the inaugural episode of the "Civic Podcast", co-hosts Markus Wagner and David Turner interview Steve Vladeck about the first 50 days of the second Trump presidency and the state of US politics and constitutional law. They discuss the deconstruction of the administrative state and the drive to replace civil servants with Trump loyalists. They cover concerns about bypassing legal procedures and the unconventional influence of figures like Elon Musk and the so-called DOGE. They also explore the potential for the Trump administration to defy the courts and the importance of upholding constitutional checks and balances. They discuss the silencing of critics and the implications for First Amendment rights. Finally, they touch upon the diverse motivations behind these actions and speculate on when this trend might peak. Links: Ben Penn and Tatyana Monnay, Covington Revenge Deepens Worries of Defending Trump Targets, Bloomberg Law, 27 February 2025Adam Bonica, The DOGE Purge: Empirical Evidence of Politically Motivated Firings And what it means for American Democracy, On Data and Democracy, 1 March 2025. Alex Lemonides, Seamus Hughes, Mattathias Schwartz and Lazaro Gamio, Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda, New York Times, 11 March 2025 How Musk Built DOGE: Timeline and Key Takeaways, New York Times, 28 February 2025Letter by interim US attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin to William Treanor, Dean of Georgetown University Law Center and response by William TreanorRecommendations: Ted Chiang, Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art, The New Yorker, 31 August 2024 Recipe Tin Eats by Nagi Maehashi: Recipes, Book, Food Bank and DozerMarkus Wagner is Professor of Law at the University of Wollongong, Australia and has advised the private sector, governments and international organizations. An award-winning instructor, his academic work and consulting are focused on the intersections of international trade law and governance, and international peace and security, as well as US and Australian constitutional law. Professor Wagner is a sought after commentator on TV, radio and other news outlets. Social media handles: LinkedIn, X, Bluesky.Steve Vladeck is the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts at Georgetown University Law Center. He's CNN's Supreme Court analyst; creator and editor of "One First" (a twice-weekly newsletter about the Supreme Court); and author of the New York Times bestselling book, "The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic". His social media handles include: LinkedIn, X, Bluesky.David Turner is a lawyer and software developer from Sydney, Australia. As the principal lawyer of Empirical Legal, David advises Australian startups, scale-ups and small businesses on corporate advisory and technology challenges. As a co-founder of Lext, David works to make the law easier to access and easier to practise through software. Lext develops its own software-as-a-service products, and also works with government agencies, law firms and not-for-profit organisations to develop technological solutions to law and justice problems. Social media handles: LinkedIn.
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    58 m
  • The Civic Podcast Teaser

    The Civic Podcast Teaser
    Feb 25 2025

    The uncertainty and division we are seeing in the world right now is increasing. People want answers to uncomfortable questions.

    Law professor Markus Wagner and lawyer and software developer David Turner are the hosts of the The Civic Podcast: Beyond the Echo Chambers. We may not always agree on everything (or you with them), but we give challenging ideas a fair hearing. We know that when it comes to difficult conversations, understanding doesn't mean consensus.

    Subscribe to The Civic Podcast and join Markus and David as they talk about the stories in politics, economics, law and society that are shaping our world.
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    1 m
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