YoungFeds.Org > Features > UnCommentary
Helping Government Become Cool
By Chris Myers
Think back to your college years. For some of us, that's reaching way back into the last century, but I'm sure we can all manage a few fading reminiscences. Do you remember the looks that people -- not just students, but grown folks too -- gave to soon-to-be graduates who proclaimed their desire to work in the government?
If your college was anything like mine, you know the look. Half incredulous, half mocking, it was often accompanied with a chortled, “Why?” Public service was quaint, old-fashioned. The real “action” lay elsewhere, in the private sector where talents would be appreciated and fortunes could be made.
Let's face it. Even after 9/11 and Katrina, public service has an image problem among college students. Apparently, it just isn't cool anymore. The numbers bear out the problem -- just this week, the Financial Times reported that at schools such as Columbia 's School for Public Affairs the percentage of graduates who go into government work has dropped by half in a generation. That's a long-term crisis in the making.
So what do we do about it? Readers of this site know about a variety of necessary steps we must take, from the reform of promotion policies to changes in the workplace. But we also need something bold, something exciting, something that can help make public service seem, well, cool. For a little more than a year now, I've been working to develop an idea that may be able to help. It's the U.S. Public Service Academy.
Basically, the Academy would be a “West Point for public service,” a four-year, degree-granting institution that would offer an intense curriculum focused on leadership development and service. After graduation, students would be required to serve five years in various government positions at the local, state, or federal levels. Not only would the Academy help us meet short-term needs, it would help reinvigorate our sense of public service.
The idea has taken off. In just a year, it has gone from a photocopied proposal to a bill that will be introduced in Congress this month. It's crazy, but exciting -- and you can help make it happen. You can sign our petition, find out how to volunteer, and learn more about the Academy by visiting our website. It's not often you can to be present at the creation of a national institution. Join us!
Chris Myers, 33, runs the U.S. Public Service Academy. Write him at: asch@uspublicserviceacademy.org.
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USPSA Q&A
What is the U.S. Public Service Academy ?
The U.S. Public Service Academy will be an undergraduate institution devoted to developing civilian leaders. Modeled on the military academies, the Academy will offer four years of tuition-free education in exchange for five years of civilian service following graduation.
How many students will it serve?
The Academy will serve roughly 5,100 high-achieving students from across the United States and the world.
How will students be admitted?
Spots for nearly 1,300 incoming freshmen will be allocated by state, following a congressional nomination process similar to that used for admission to the military academies. Nominees would compete against other nominees from their state, thus ensuring that each state will be proportionally represented in the student body.
What kind of curriculum will Academy students follow?
The Academy will offer a unique curriculum that combines a broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on service learning and international education. The combination of rigorous academic work with hands-on learning experiences will give our students the analytical skills, academic background, and practical experience they need to think critically and flexibly about the challenges of the twenty-first century.
What kinds of jobs would Academy graduates do during their five-year service requirement?
Academy graduates will spend five years serving their nation by working as teachers, park rangers, police officers, border agents, and other critical public service jobs at the local, state, national and even international levels.
Where will the Academy be located?
That decision ultimately will be up to Congress, but we feel that one site that makes logical sense is Washington , D.C.
How much money will it cost?
About 70 cents per American per year. For less than the cost of bus fare, we can build a lasting institution sends a clear message to our young people – public service matters, and it matters enough that we have built a national public university dedicated to it.
How realistic is this politically?
The Academy is not a Republican idea, it is not a Democratic idea, it is an American idea. We believe that all Americans can agree that no matter the size, no matter the policy, our public institutions should work for the American people. With courageous leaders from both sides of the political aisle, we can create a lasting institution that will stand as a monument to visionary leadership. Americans are a can-do people, and we can build this Academy.
~Chris
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