United We Serve: National Service and the Future of Citizenship

The editors of this collection (Dionne is a journalist and fellow at Brookings, Drogosz and Litan are staffers) report that, in the wake of September 11, AmeriCorps applications went up by 50%, those for the Peace Corps doubled and those for Teach for America tripled. Yet, they contend, Americans have always demonstrated ambivalence about national service, whether military or as voluntarism. Here they gather essays by scholars, writers and public figures examining the pros and cons of public service, the issue of universal service and the relation between government and private voluntary organizations. Congressman Charles Rangel's controversial op-ed piece""Bring Back the Draft"" is included; Senator John McCain argues passionately for government to offer greater opportunities for public service; philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain considers the""overlap"" between the realms of politics and religion in defining what constitutes a good life. Offering a range of perspective, this volume is a good place to start for anyone interested in the question of public service in the 21st century.