Over 5,000 years, states have made surprisingly consistent claims about their duties. They have promised to protect people from threats; promote their welfare; deliver justice and also, perhaps less obviously, uphold truth - originally truths about the cosmos, and more recently truths drawn from reason and knowledge.

The most dynamic cities have always been immersed in the critical innovations of their time.

In Britain, polls show large majorities in favour of mansion taxes and higher taxes on the finance sector.

A lot of people in government don't really read books at all.

Adelaide is becoming a hub for higher education.

There is a yearning for people to return to elementary moral virtues, such as integrity and commitment. We distrust people who have no centering of values. We greatly respect businessmen, for example, if they display those virtues, even if we don't necessarily agree with the people.

Systems governed by only one set of rules are more vulnerable than those with variety.