Democrats and Republicans voice different views on government

During the recent political conventions, Democrats and Republicans covered familiar territory on the role of government with Democrats arguing that government is vital but limited in its effectiveness, while Republicans praised public service but attacked bureaucracy.

Some public service advocates said both parties missed an opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus for government reform.

"Obviously, [Republican nominee] Sen. McCain made mention of the fact that if you're unhappy about government, do something and join it, and I think that's the right statement," said Max Stier, president of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. "But there were at best a handful of examples of the parties talking about how we're going to solve the problems of how we make government a more effective tool."

Democrats talked about public service in broad terms during their week in Denver, including in that definition Michelle Obama's nonprofit outreach and the political work of Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a prominent Obama supporter. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and other Democrats walked a fine line when discussing the role of government, saying it was not a cure-all, but that it had an important effect on Americans' lives.

"This is the kind of leadership [Obama] offers to bring to the presidency -- not because government can solve every problem in everybody's life; but because 'government,' as [Rep.] Barney Frank [D-Mass.] likes to say, is simply the name we give to the things we choose to do together," said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in his Aug. 25 speech at the Democratic convention.

The lone public mention of federal employees in Denver appeared the vice-presidential acceptance speech of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, when he said he would not use the office as a means to strong-arm government workers.

"For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and respect our Constitution, no longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be: 'The vice president's office is on the phone,'" Biden said.

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees and an Obama delegate, said during the convention that he would urge the Democratic nominee to talk more about the role of government and federal workers on the campaign trail.

The Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., coincided with Hurricane Gustav making landfall in the United States, giving McCain an opportunity to highlight the importance of public service. During his Sept. 4 acceptance speech, he called on Americans to join government if they were frustrated with it, and also suggested other forms of service.

"If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them," McCain said. "Enlist in our armed forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an -- an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed."

An earlier McCain remark during his acceptance speech summarized the attitude toward government present during the convention, when he said government should "stand on your side and not in your way."

In the first major address during the Republican convention, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., erstwhile chairman of that chamber's Governmental Affairs Committee, said, "We need a president and vice president who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shaking."

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann argued that government could damage the public service ethic if it was too intrusive.

"Government fosters service best when government binds it least," she said. That is not to say that government does not play an important role. For instance, Sen. McCain has championed national service programs ... and he has fought to bolster incentives for young people to join the United States military. But we must never forget what government is not. Government is not a philanthropic organization, it is not a family, and it is not a church."

But Matt Biggs, the legislative director of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, a group that has endorsed Obama, said the convention rhetoric in Denver and Minnesota wasn't what mattered most to him.

"Convention rhetoric aside, when it comes to the bread-and-butter issues impacting civil servants, the differences between the two camps couldn't be more clear," he said.