Viewpoint

A Bridge to Service

June 1, 2004

We need to them how truly rewarding it is to live the life of a public servant-what a high and honorable calling it is. We need to convey to those young people who have real hopes of changing lives and influencing the nation for the better that there is immense satisfaction to be found. We need to tell them that public service will increase their self-worth-even if not their net worth. Next, we need to America's rising generation to consider a life of public service themselves. I am convinced that many fail to pursue this path, not because they are apathetic or selfish, but merely because they are poorly informed about the magnitude of the need for their help. It is our duty as the bridge builders of today to reissue this challenge to those who will follow us. The research tells us that Americans who want to contribute to their society and make a difference in their working lives often turn to the nonprofit sector rather than the public sector. We need to ask them to use their energy and ideas to invigorate our society as public servants. But to recruit and retain its fair share of the best talent, public service must be a visible option. Its guiding principles must be conveyed to the labor force that it seeks to woo. Lastly, in addition to all of this telling and asking, we need to do some . If we are serious about building bridges through public service, we will take a good, hard look at the barriers that are keeping our nation's best and brightest from joining our ranks.

It's up to civil servants to tell young people about the great opportunity to change lives and the nation.

Elliot Richardson, former U.S. attorney general, knew that ours is a nation built on pride in sacrifice and commitment to shared values-on a willingness of its citizens to give of their time and energy for the good of the whole. He knew that there is no greater contribution than a life of dedication to public service. We are the nation that we are today because those bridge builders of the past gave of themselves in a way that really mattered.

To be sure, the work of bridge building can be as taxing as it is rewarding. These efforts can call for sacrifice-sometimes emotional, sometimes financial, sometimes personal. Those who choose the life of public service open themselves to public review.

Sometimes, I'm sorry to report, the nation that we aim to serve is not content with our efforts. But the ever-present understanding that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and that your efforts are paving the way for those who will follow, makes a life of public service worth the bumps along the way. We cannot expect that a single generation of public servants will be able to bridge the gaps of inequality and injustice. But as we focus our energies on sharing ideas, finding solutions and using what is right with America to remedy what is wrong with it, we can make a difference.

One of the most important bridges that those of us who are dedicated to public service can build is the bridge that connects our cause to those generations that must take up the task of keeping the public sector vibrant when our work in it is done. Our country has never needed more qualified people in public service than it does today; yet many of the country's young people are choosing other paths. This bridge will not build itself. It will take action on our part. I submit that there are some things that we need to tell them, some things that we need to ask them, and some things with which we need to help them.

Tell Them

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We need to tell them that the work is exciting-not only as a chance to add another dimension to the vitality and decency of our democracy, but also as a mechanism for individual growth. Public service can mark a life with meaning and can open doors to opportunities that would otherwise be unimaginable. In the words of Plato, one of the penalties for refusing to participate in government "is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

If our bridge to the future is to be sturdy enough to support a forthcoming generation of public servants, it will have to be built on a foundation of engaged citizenry. To that end, we need to tell our nation's youth that our collective existence as a society transcends the sum of our narrow, individual interests, and then we need to demonstrate by our actions how individual participation can make a difference.

Ask Them

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Those of us in positions of somewhat greater visibility should do our part, asking and encouraging young Americans to consider public service. And those closest to young people are in an even better position to guide their career decisions in a personal way. Parents, local governmental leaders and community members-especially those who have themselves opted for careers in the public sector-should be passing along this message as well. Teachers, in particular, have a critical role to play here. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that we must "begin young to teach the standards that should prevail in public servants" and help our children draw "the logical conclusion that the ends cannot be achieved without the cooperation of every citizen."

Help Them

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The sad truth is that many of the sharpest young minds in this country are saddled with overwhelming educational debts that make it difficult to embrace lower-paying public service jobs. The typical undergraduate debt burden is estimated to be between $14,000 and $16,000. The average law student graduates with more than $80,000 in debt. We can hardly blame them for making choices that are guided by their pocketbooks. We need to think more intently about how we can make public service feasible for the people that our country needs to have in its employ. In some instances, the answer simply has to be in the form of salary increases. In other instances, loan repayment or deferral programs may serve the purposes of encouraging new graduates to give their fresh energy to the public sector. In still other instances, a little creativity and forward-thinking may produce equally effective ways to help those who genuinely want to help their nation. Bridge-building of this sort takes both ingenuity and imagination.

Elliot Richardson reminded us that "Imagination is the only tool we have with which we can rise beyond reality, beyond the reach of our own immediate perception."

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