Ed Note: One of the problems of youth is that they don’t have enough exposure to those different from themselves. A sense of entitlement is often attributed to the millenials. Service when we are young in the Military, Peace Corps or AmeriCorps can profoundly affect the young minds as they mature and take on a world outlook. In our great country, it’s not a great price to give two years (or more) to the service of our fellow Americans – and those arriving at our borders. Perhaps the time has come for our young people to step up and participate in national service.
This article is part of David Leonhardt’s newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday.
The 2020 Democratic is full of intriguing ideas — on climate change, tax policy, voting rights and more. This morning, I want to focus on an issue that three candidates have begun pushing: national service.
The basic idea is to encourage people, especially younger adults, to work on projects that advance the country’s interests. Franklin Roosevelt created the first federally funded service corps in the 1930s. Since then, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton built on the idea.
AmeriCorps — today’s umbrella program, which receives both federal and private funds — has about 75,000 civilian corps members annually. They perform education, antipoverty and other work, in exchange for a modest stipendor tuition reimbursement.
So far, three 2020 candidates have talked about expanding national service. John Delaney, the former Maryland congressman, wants to expand AmeriCorps to address climate change and improve infrastructure, among other things. “We have to restore a sense of common purpose and unity to our country,” he has said.