---
title: WEBINAR | Democracy - A New Idea For Government to Do 'With' Not 'For'
description: In this webinar, John McKnight and David Mathews explored why there is a loss of faith in governing institutions & why doing with not for can work.
---

[Resource Library ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library)

# [WEBINAR | Democracy - A New Idea For Government to Do 'With' Not 'For'](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/democracy-a-new-idea)

 Written by [the Tamarack Institute](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/author/tamarack-institute) | April 9, 2021

In this webinar, John McKnight and David Mathews explored why there is a loss of faith in governing institutions, why doing 'with' not 'for' can work and examples of how it has worked and what can citizens do to be producers and not recipients. Here is a summary of what was discussed: 

- **Better alignment** - Some of the best opportunities for a better alignment occur when citizens and professionals are doing the same thing but doing it differently.
- **To work with citizens** - A 'with' strategy reinforces what our institutions are trying to do but cannot do alone.
- **To recognize different ways of working** - governing organizations identify the problem using cost benefit analysis and citizens use public deliberation and they both have benefits.
- **To see citizens as producers** - people who make things to benefit the common good.

 

**Take Your Learning Further:**

- Visit the [Kettering Foundation](https://www.kettering.org/)
- <https://www.kettering.org/>Read publications by David Mathews: 
    - [With the people An Introduction to an Idea](https://www.kettering.org/catalog/product/with-the-people-introduction-to-an-idea)
    - [The Ecology of Democracy](https://www.kettering.org/wp-content/uploads/Ecology-Introduction.pdf)
    - [Democracy is in Serious Trouble, But Still Resilient](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/e2t/tc/VVzMvJ3rGyKzW1rZ93Z5VZPSkW1sXT7r4pRw0SN4nN_bJ5nxG7V3Zsc37CgZszN4LQlLySphNpW8MfJjx6flFN7W6fwf184BgwwwVrZKvG2MZjvkW2yPtRN2HmvFkW4ZKnLl2cF9BrW1ln5ln5jlPq_W6tDfRF6hcvSGW7M5YXg7ZhcZwVJfSDG8YDtfTW74rh6J11_yXWW43l_b48vMkbMVSxS0S3wR9SjW57Tlh94HHtl4W6tX0rS7mWCH7W7rGKqL53gjvLW7rMsmq11Sn8VW2xJSC72bFCtnW7t1rl-8W8S13W6hJjFt9lMSLWW3K0-f64gWbG2W5Rzx-l6hM5XvW1hDpmL7QmCdkW3mFVdx6dnGDRV2drYq6n5WWlN53C7dM4Ws7HN2P7GfGdLdsgW3zKSWr1R7BGjVDsBmP7JrjgMW5y_RsL3hpRTYN5nzyMvTQzKGVNDsh26YYJss3jbM1?hsLang=en-us)
    - [Together. Building Stronger, Better Communities](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/e2t/tc/VVzMvJ3rGyKzW1rZ93Z5VZPSkW1sXT7r4pRw0SN4nN_dN3p_b1V1-WJV7CgHVwW69gP475LqZM1W6Jp9Zw1H0GK1W74-qQC7qKyhPW40sSZL23kG7MW7YlwvM7mgbYRW31CVLr6lcY81W210dZM6028yBMhS-gH2zdFBW7VXQRm1pZFn0W83BCMv96kW8jW6RtTh142hrZvW5H1Sq390bybQW1qhwjy6P-nR2W6JkK572QhbTgVFctgy8M4mWvW8Nq8-S8PdgtgW83nQJ14cH9hMW4pj84c1FqXK-W24p16n6YMB5qW31pxyl628P2RW5y7d7N5jLjRpW684m-Z4DCg6_W4zNTm37Sg2T0W8Rc8dz2TNh0VVFDMKR2ZMDzbW3rlJsB7FwJ2MW77ZYDs5G-F0tV5FZhn86mj5bN5C-LblnWCwTW6WW3bS29P1q736YR1?hsLang=en-us)
- Read [Asset-Based Development at a Glance](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/guide-asset-based-community-development-at-a-glance?hsLang=en-us)
- Listen to our podcast [A Discussion of ABCD with John McKnight](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/listen?hsLang=en-us)
- Check out [The Learnings of John McKnight](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/the-learnings-of-john-mcknight?hsLang=en-us)

[View full post](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/democracy-a-new-idea)

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