Strategy 6 Inspire a Culture of Commitment to American Constitutional Democracy and One Another
Create a Universal Expectation of National Service

Recommendation 6.1
Establish a universal expectation of a year of national service and dramatically expand funding for service programs or fellowships that would offer young people paid service opportunities. Such opportunities should be made available not only in AmeriCorps or the military but also in local programs offered by municipal governments, local news outlets, and nonprofit organizations.
55%
of Americans discuss political, social or local issues with friends or family at least a few times a month. But 67% never discuss these issues with neighbors.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
“I think that loss of the vision of what’s best for everyone shows up in the lack of compromise – that it becomes your little silos, and there’s not much crossing over to say, ‘Oh, for the nation as a whole, we need to do x, y, or z,’ instead of, ‘For my party, we need to do x, y, or z.’”
—Lexington, Kentucky
15%
of applicants are accepted at Teach for America each year. Peace Corps accepts only 30% of applicants. And Service Year has a roughly 33% acceptance rate.

37%
of American men in 1980 had military experience. In 2014, just 16% had military experience.
Source: Pew Research Center
“My husband will tell you today, that [enlisting in the army] was the best thing that ever happened to him. And he has been able to use that experience throughout his life, and he still talks about his service … and that used to be something that unified virtually all men.”
—Lexington, Kentucky