In favor of national service for young Americans

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Polls suggest young Americans are less enchanted with their country than previous generations. Yet even those who want to serve their country, conducting some form of national service, are too often turned away by top programs. The opposite should be true: Volunteer organizations such as AmeriCorps, Teach for America, the Peace Corps and the newly formed American Climate Corps should be well-funded and encouraged. National service could become a pervasive post-graduation option that all young Americans consider.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this year proposed a national service plan that would have granted young adults the option of enrolling in a year-long military training program or committing to civil service one weekend every month for the same amount of time. The proposal was highly unpopular, with Brits balking at what they saw as the effective conscription of their nation’s young people.

The idea has more support here in the States. A 2017 Gallup poll shows that nearly half of Americans favor mandatory national service. Many teenagers themselves, it turns out, are interested — too many for the system to accommodate. Relevant programs are underfunded, and, as a result, can’t accept the millions of Americans who sign up, even if there’s plenty of useful work those applicants could do. Expanding opportunities for national service is one of the few topics that transcend political affiliation, age and race in the United States. People see the benefits of serving their country, whether it be through the military or helping out at their local soup kitchen. But the costs of doing so can be high — so it’s on the government to reduce them.

To be clear, Congress should not impose a mandate. Forcing a year or two of service from the nation’s next great tech innovators, or star athletes, or cohort of primary-care physicians, or skilled construction workers needed to build new infrastructure, would do more harm to society than good — though such people should obviously be welcome in these programs. Rather, as they and their peers approach their later teenage years, they should discuss with their friends who will go right to college, or directly to graduate school, or immediately into a trade, and who will take a year or two to make the U.S. more livable, more safe or more healthy, along with millions of others from around the country.

The Unity Through Service Act would make it easier for Americans to find their way into national service, building an interagency council that includes military, national and public service officials working together to inform young adults about existing service opportunities. Heads of agencies such as AmeriCorps and Peace Corps could engage in joint recruitment campaigns. The costs for the council itself, according to one legislative official, are “negligible” and would create the infrastructure needed to support the expansion of service programs while many wait for additional funding.

But passing this modest bill would be only a start. Participating in a program such as AmeriCorps or Peace Corps means sacrificing one or two years in the workforce, and the likely higher salary that would come with a job. Meanwhile, the stipends these programs offer usually do not cover the cost of living — largely because the programs have faced years of sharp funding cuts. National service might never pay as well as a Wall Street internship, but Congress should invest in increasing pay for young people so it’s at least a plausible option for Americans with little money to spare. National service initiatives should also provide flexibility to applicants, allowing them to focus on a particular skill set, say, or geographic location. Doing so would attract Gen Z participants who want to develop skills during their service that could further their career goals.

Yet, a revitalized national service program would help not only young Americans preparing to enter the workforce, or government agencies and organizations that benefit from young Americans’ labor. The most profound benefits might flow to society at large, from instilling in a diverse group of participants a shared sense of service and duty, alleviating political apathy and building unity. If newly minted adults are following President John F. Kennedy’s famous advice, asking what they can do for their country, the country should make sure it has an answer.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE WASHINGTON POST