Foreword

The idea of creating a national university is not new. More than two centuries ago, George Washington, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson advocated for a national university. In 1797, the American Philosophical Society hosted a contest for proposals on the best system of education for the new nation. Winner Henry Knox proposed a national university, which he argued "would thus constitute the fountainhead of science, that . . . would diffuse the rays of knowledge and science to the remotest situations of the United government." In 1897, Congress considered the creation of a "University of the United States." Thus far, policymakers have opted not to act on these proposals.

Today--energized by concerns about the performance of civil servants and the need to recruit a new generation of talent into key federal, state, and municipal positions--a new proposal to launch a U.S. Public Service Academy has drawn much attention. Sponsored by Representative James Moran (D-VA) and ninety-four cosponsors in the House of Representatives and by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and eighteen cosponsors in the Senate, the proposal for a federally funded Academy is modeled on the existing military academies and would offer students a free four-year college education in return for five years of public service.

In truth, the American Enterprise Institute neither advocates for legislation nor takes institutional positions on policy matters, and I myself have mixed feelings on this proposal. While I am sympathetic to the aim, I am inclined toward skepticism of large new federal initiatives. In this light, I am pleased to share with you two thoughtful essays by Chris Myers Asch, a cofounder of the Academy, and Philip Levy, a resident scholar at AEI and one of the Academy's skeptics. Asch's essay, "The Case for a U.S. Public Service Academy," makes the case for the Academy by addressing seven critiques that are commonly raised against the idea. Levy's "How Not to Fix the Civil Service" raises broad questions about the value and feasibility of tackling the public service challenge by launching a new institution.

These two essays constitute less of a debate than two provocative looks at an ambitious policy proposal. I hope that you find them as edifying and thought-provoking as I have. For additional information on these papers or any of the activities of AEI's education policy program, please visit www.aei.org/hess or contact Ms. Juliet Squire at jsquire@aei.org.

--Frederick M. Hess
Director of Education Policy Studies
American Enterprise Institute

The Case for a U.S. Public Service Academy

by Chris Myers Asch

"Much as the challenges of the nineteenth century led to the creation of West Point and the Naval Academy, and those of the twentieth to the Air Force Academy, the challenges of the twenty-first point to a new paradigm in leader development: the Public Service Academy."

Lt. Gen. Dave Palmer (U.S. Army, ret.)
Former Superintendent
U.S. Military Academy at West Point, 1986-1991

The origin of the U.S. Public Service Academy can be traced to George Washington's vision of a national university located in the nation's capital. Washington and supporters such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison believed that such a university could develop national leadership, set a standard for academic excellence, and help bind the nation together. Today, this ambitious idea--embodied in the proposed Public Service Academy Act--has won the bipartisan backing of eighteen cosponsors in the Senate and ninety-four in the House, as well as endorsements from numerous organizations, college presidents, and prominent public figures.

The proposed Public Service Academy will serve as a civilian counterpart to the five
military service academies: a federally subsidized, four-year college education in exchange for five years of mandatory service following graduation. Like applicants to the military academies, prospective Academy students first will need to secure nominations from their congressional representative or senator, and then apply through a competitive process for a spot among 1,300 incoming freshmen. The Academy will offer an academically rigorous liberal arts program focused on service and leadership, with a core curriculum emphasizing civic education, service-learning, and international education, along with challenging requirements for study abroad, public service internships, and summer leadership development. Supporters believe that the combination of rigorous academic work with intense, hands-on learning experiences in a unique campus culture centered on public service will develop the character, intellect, and leadership skills students need to serve the American people honorably and effectively. . . .

How Not to Fix the Civil Service

by Philip I. Levy

Introduction

The proposal to launch a U.S. Public Service Academy is motivated by the best of intentions. Public service is failing to attract and retain America's best youth. There are essential tasks that federal, state, and local governments must perform. If key positions are not filled by capable people, the ill effects could redound throughout the economy and the polity.

Even if one is content with the way the civil service has performed to date, there are storm clouds brewing. Roughly 90 percent of senior managers in federal government are eligible to retire within the next decade, and more than 40 percent of all federal employees will be eligible for retirement by 2010. Meanwhile, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs reports only 36 percent of graduates are going into the public sector compared to 73 percent in 1979.

We can stipulate that there is a problem. But we must ask: Are there too few students with the requisite skills? Is there no way to obtain the necessary training? Is there a lack of civicmindedness? Is there a lack of interest in public affairs? If any of these were the problem, the Public Service Academy might well be the solution. In fact, the problems lie elsewhere. . . .

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