---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first lesson, for all Canadians, is…"
description: "\"The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed door, top down approaches to constitution making do not provide the public input or debate nece..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png"
---

#  The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed…

![“The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed door, top down approaches to constitution making do not provide the public input or debate necessary to achieve a constitutional consensus that will be supported by the people.” quote by Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png)

> “The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed door, top down approaches to constitution making do not provide the public input or debate necessary to achieve a constitutional consensus that will be supported by the people.”

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Top‑down constitutional reforms lack public input, preventing broad consensus and support.

**In simple terms:** Inclusive processes build stronger constitutions.

Key Takeaway

Engage citizens in constitutional design.

Themes

democracy participation constitution public discourse

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

political advice

When to use this quote

- referendums
- public consultations
- town hall meetings
- constitutional conventions

Key Concepts

political theory citizen engagement legitimacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we ensure effective participation?
- What mechanisms balance expertise and public voice?

A Different Perspective

Too much public input may stall decision‑making.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [Healthy debate has been replaced by automatic sensors that eliminate the need for actual talking during a filibuster - a la 'Mr. Smith Goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/healthy-debate-has-been-replaced-by-automatic-sensors-that-eliminate/)

[Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/)

> [Most Canadians previously had no idea what went on in the residential schools. You tell Canadians the last one closed in 1996, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/most-canadians-previously-had-no-idea-what-went-on-in-the-residential/)

[Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/)

> [If I'm serious about patients and their GPs being able to have more control of their health care, I can't have a top-down system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lansley/if-i-m-serious-about-patients-and-their-gps-being-able-to-have-more/)

[Andrew Lansley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lansley/)

> [Enforced by genetics, sexual reproduction, perspective, and experience, the most manifest characteristic of human beings is their diversity. The freer an economy is, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gilder/enforced-by-genetics-sexual-reproduction-perspective-and-experience/)

[George Gilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gilder/)

> [Anarchism is grounded in a rather definite social-psychological hypothesis: that forceful, graceful and intelligent behaviour occurs only when there is an uncoerced and direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/anarchism-is-grounded-in-a-rather-definite-social-psychological/)

[Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/)

> [There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/there-is-a-great-deal-of-talk-about-loyalty-from-the-bottom-to-the/)

[George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/)

> ["Oppression" or "systems of oppression" operate as a shorthand terms in much writing and speaking so that we do not have to list all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/oppression-or-systems-of-oppression-operate-as-a-shorthand-terms-in/)

[Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/)

> [The traditional view of purpose says it comes from on high, from God, from the Creator. Darwin's idea of natural selection makes people uncomfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/the-traditional-view-of-purpose-says-it-comes-from-on-high-from-god/)

[Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/)

> [You can only succeed when people are communicating, not just from the top down, but in complete interchange. Communication comes from fighting off my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/you-can-only-succeed-when-people-are-communicating-not-just-from-the/)

[Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/)

> [I don't expect to get 100 percent of what I want, but what we can't do is go back to the kind of top-down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-expect-to-get-100-percent-of-what-i-want-but-what-we-can-t-do/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Optimization hinders evolution. Everything should be built top-down, except the first time. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/optimization-hinders-evolution-everything-should-be-built-top-down/)

[Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/)

> [ He's \[Louis Brandais\] so suspicious of bigness in government as well as business that he mistrusts even really top-down reforms at the state level.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/he-s-louis-brandais-so-suspicious-of-bigness-in-government-as-well-as/)

[Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/)

> [I was elected because I believed in what we call "grassroots politics," politics from the bottom up, not the top down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-elected-because-i-believed-in-what-we-call-grassroots-politics/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [It's always hard for me to find a therapist who is a black woman or even a woman of color. It's something that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/it-s-always-hard-for-me-to-find-a-therapist-who-is-a-black-woman-or/)

[Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/)

> [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

## More by Preston Manning

> [I think the federal Liberals' micro-tinkering is not causing any kind of upsurge in public confidence. The challenge for Conservatives is how to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/i-think-the-federal-liberals-micro-tinkering-is-not-causing-any-kind/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [An optimist in Canada is someone who think things could be worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/an-optimist-in-canada-is-someone-who-think-things-could-be-worse/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [For many years I have advocated 'redesigning Parliament' in a variety of ways - elect the Senate, do away with the 'confidence convention,' permit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/for-many-years-i-have-advocated-redesigning-parliament-in-a-variety/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [I think on all the debate on immigration, and all of that, the class of person that should be given the benefit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/i-think-on-all-the-debate-on-immigration-and-all-of-that-the-class-of/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [A revolutionary should neither look or act like one to get ahead in Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/a-revolutionary-should-neither-look-or-act-like-one-to-get-ahead-in/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Do not ghettoize society by putting people into legal categories of gender, race, ethnicity, language, or other such characteristics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/do-not-ghettoize-society-by-putting-people-into-legal-categories-of/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [When the initial effort of political and business leaders to influence public opinion on an issue is to threaten rather than to engage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/when-the-initial-effort-of-political-and-business-leaders-to/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [When we classify an issue as a 'shield issue' it is usually because we feel that someone else occupies the high ground on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/when-we-classify-an-issue-as-a-shield-issue-it-is-usually-because-we/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Besides my religious commitment, the greatest single factor that has enabled me to pursue my business and political objectives has been the security and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/besides-my-religious-commitment-the-greatest-single-factor-that-has/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [My personal political convictions are rooted in the populist political traditions of western Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/my-personal-political-convictions-are-rooted-in-the-populist/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Canada is the only country founded on the relentless pursuit of the rodent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/canada-is-the-only-country-founded-on-the-relentless-pursuit-of-the/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Remember the referendum on the Charlottetown constitutional accord? The more Canada's political and business elites threatened Canadians that the country would disappear into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/remember-the-referendum-on-the-charlottetown-constitutional-accord/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Nothing disturbs me more than superficiality and mere sloganizing on matters of public policy, and the suspicion that what the speaker is saying represents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/nothing-disturbs-me-more-than-superficiality-and-mere-sloganizing-on/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [There are hundreds of Canadian communities that have given more thought to hiring their rink manager than they have to electing their member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/there-are-hundreds-of-canadian-communities-that-have-given-more/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

> [Where you find all the worries about immigration, I think the way to handle that is to listen to the person that's got concerns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/where-you-find-all-the-worries-about-immigration-i-think-the-way-to/)

[Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

[Explore all 38 Preston Manning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed door, top down approaches to constitution making do not provide the public input or debate necessary to achieve a constitutional consensus that will be supported by the people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Preston Manning"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-that-the-closed-door-top-down/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-that-the-closed-door-top-down/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e08/preston-manning-16966_achieve_the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-th_2301157.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The first lesson, for all Canadians, is that the closed door, top down approaches to constitution making do…” — Preston Manning",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Preston Manning",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The first lesson, for all Canadians,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-that-the-closed-door-top-down/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/the-first-lesson-for-all-canadians-is-that-the-closed-door-top-down/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```