Submitted by: Sophia Lin
As a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Los Angeles County, I watched my parents earn the citizenship that my siblings and I took for granted. This simple memory from my childhood jump-started my early fascination with the idea of American-ness. My family’s experience with citizenship made me wonder about its more normal, everyday manifestations ““ the daily similarities that would define the lives and lifestyles of an entire nation.
I have since heard many definitions of “American,” but the one that has most captured my imagination was a dominating theme in the 2008 elections. The presidential candidates’ call to service insisted that for all, even “natural-born,” Americans, true citizenship is something that needs to be earned.
That this message galvanized youth is no surprise. As 2008 ““ declared “The Year of the Youth Vote” by Time magazine ““ demonstrated, a sense of responsibility toward government lies at the root of empowerment for an entire generation. In 2009, it is important that we convey this coming of age into an enduring legacy. The establishment of the United States Public Service Academy would do just that, embodying the concept of “active citizenship” in a national institution.
The Public Service Academy would be a civilian counterpart to our military academies: Instead of leaders for armed services, the academy would teach America’s best and brightest how to be effective and efficient leaders in local, state and national government. Via a competitive state nomination and admissions process, students would earn a four-year scholarship to study liberal arts as well as a specific public service field. At its full capacity, the academy would serve approximately 5,000 students a year, and, upon graduation, these students would fulfill a five-year service requirement in areas of critical need: teaching in an urban public school, for instance.
With 55 electoral votes, California would be represented by at least 110 students in each first-year class. At a time when budget cuts are threatening to increase financial barriers to education, we would be awarding full scholarships to some of our most talented students.
In return, California would receive leaders in public service who are sorely needed. In recent years, Los Angeles has experienced shortages in areas such as law enforcement, health and public education. In 2006, the Los Angeles Police Department needed to fill more than 700 openings ““ a shortage that Police Chief William Bratton said contributed to a spike in gang crime.
And as more and more baby boomers across all fields become eligible for retirement, shortages in areas such as teaching will only increase while fresh deficiencies in other areas are discovered. Of course, the Public Service Academy is not a panacea: A new crop of young leaders in local, state and federal government must also be accompanied by significant support for the institutions these leaders will reinvigorate.
But the creation of a national college for civilian leaders would be a momentous, critical step in the right direction.
Part of the beauty of a national Academy is that citizens who do not apply or attend will still understand the significance inherent in its establishment. An institution ““ more than any scholarship program, tax break or financial aid incentive ““ devoted entirely to public service will send a clear message that having top-flight civilian public institutions is as vital to our nation as having a top-flight military.
By creating an institution devoted entirely to public service, the government sends the message that public service is important to the country and should be invested in. By supporting the establishment of the academy, citizens demonstrate their belief in better government. The United States Public Service Academy could usher in a new era of “active citizenship” for all.
Lin is a third-year chemical engineering student.