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Putting Trust in People: How Ordinary Citizens can Help Solve Social Ills

What can be done to catalyze and grow innovations that promise transformative social progress? In this interesting column from the Case Foundation blog, Stephen Goldsmith...

What can be done to catalyze and grow innovations that promise transformative social progress?

In this interesting column from the Case Foundation blog, Stephen Goldsmith highlights new tools for amplifying the role of citizens in solving community problems.

Drawn from his new book, The Power of Social Innovation , Goldsmith says:

"To rethink and rebuild the way we deal with social problems, our public and civic institutions must engage citizens as catalysts for social change--whether as client, community member, or entrepreneur. We also need to identify and leverage the most effective innovations for unlocking latent citizen potential for mobilizing around issues that matter most to them."

Goldsmith offers a perspective that promises to reshape the way government relates to citizens need.

"Most important to social progress is trust in citizens. We must replace patronizing systems that assume those seeking assistance will always be in need-and instead give citizens choices and hold them to high expectations."

Heads state and local government research for the Deloitte Center for Government Insights
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