Evan Smith, The Atlantic’s managing director for events, sat down with Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith; Atlantic contributing writer and George Washington law professor Jeffrey Rosen; and Melissa Murray, a professor of constitutional law at New York University and a co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny. They discussed how the country’s defining ideals have been contested and reimagined across generations—and how to carry that legacy forward. 

This episode features a conversation recorded on June 11, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of our Atlantic Across America series.

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