The Implementation of Obligatory Public Service

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Introduced on February 15th, 2013 was house bill 748, otherwise known as the Universal
National Service Act. Through this bill, every U.S citizen between the ages of 18 and 25 would
be required to perform national service for a minimum of two years, a way in which the
government feels that they would be able to establish a culture of volunteerism and accomplish
the goals of different government-run programs intended to have widespread benefits. However,
requiring young Americans to participate in such programs defeats the purpose of volunteering,
as it then becomes a legal necessity rather than a moral obligation. By making civil service an
undisputable requirement for young Americans to fulfill, the government is going beyond the
power that it is granted in a true democracy and is unjustly interfering with the lives of its
citizens to meet its own agenda. With the demands of pursuing a career in todays economy
already a challenge for many young Americans, obligatory civil service would just be another
barrier preventing prosperity among the populace.
The act of requiring Americans to perform voluntary, or rather involuntary, civil service
leads one to believe that the government is far exceeding the powers granted to it in the
constitution. According to the 13th amendment of the constitution, Neither slavery nor
involuntary servitudeshall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction (National Archives). While civil service is hardly seen as an act of slavery, it must
be acknowledged that issuing mandatory public service stretches the power of the federal
government and creates the concerning notion that the government is capable of using the free
labor of its own citizens at any given time. The implications of such an inconsiderate act would
leave the general public feel taken advantage of and thought of simply as Uncle Sams workers,
whose personal freedoms are undermined by national service. Along with requiring free labor,
the government would be interfering in lives of young Americans trying to pursue career

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opportunities, yet are held back by the requirement for completing civil service. By interfering
with the lives of young Americans in such a way, the government is unjustly slowing down their
career path and having too great an influence on their lives.
As well as not being democratically sound, the addition of national service puts forth new
burdens upon young Americans that they would have to face in order to pursue their education or
hold a job. With the financial demands of paying for an education already crippling the
economy, as the average Class of 2014 graduate with student-loan debt has to pay back some
$33,000 (Izzo), civil service presents itself as another barrier graduates must face. With the
implementation of obligatory national service comes new challenges for upcoming generations,
as schools can adjust their acceptance policies and employers their hiring practices to benefit
those who have served--and effectively penalize those who do not (Friedersdorf). Rather than
working to pay obtain a job and put more money back into the economy, as well as pay off debts,
young Americans would be forced to spend time working, without pay, for an extended period of
time. They would be forced to pause their career or even withhold going to graduate school,
under the threat that avoiding civil service would have. The legal ramifications of avoiding civil
service could end up preventing someone from attending the school of their choice, or obtaining
a desired job position. These unjust penalties would only lead to very serious consequences, as
surely the economy would be negatively impacted from the increase in unemployment and lack
of job satisfaction. In a democratic society, especially one that emphasizes individual freedoms
as much as the United States does, the ability to pursue a career and seek economic prosperity is
a quality that cannot be hindered in any such way, as doing so would only lead to a decline in the
economy and the notion that economic opportunity among Americans is hindered by government
influence.

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As with any new bill proposed to the house, especially in a society where our values and
beliefs constantly are changed, the benefits of a new potential law must be considered and
evaluated. The idea is that, by implementing national service as a requirement for young
Americans, unity among Americans will established through a culture of volunteering and doing
ones part to benefit the nation as a whole. However, though, making national service a necessity
for all young Americans creates the idea that they are forced by their political leaders to serve the
country as a whole legally and are obligated to perform labor, rather than doing so on their own
terms and at a more convenient time in their lives. This takes the voluntary component out
altogether and gives American citizens the belief that they are performing free labor to make up
for the crippled economy and work in programs created by the government, for the governments
own benefit. Also, a culture of volunteering is already prevalent throughout the U.S, as The
Peace Corps received 150,000 requests for applications but has funding for only 4,000 new
positions each year (Friedersdorf). Yet, the move to national service leaves much more
convenient, yet still effective, local and private volunteer programs and groups with less
members and involvement, as the need to perform obligatory civil service would outweigh
community service thats actually voluntary. A change such as this would only serve to reverse
any increase in the value of volunteering that would come from civil service, which would be
seen by many as obligatory free labor instead of something that can be universally beneficial.
With the implementation of obligatory volunteer service comes a major intrusion upon
the lives of young Americans and a far-reaching stretch of government power and influence.
Through making civil service a requirement, the government is undermining the powers granted
to it by the constitution and inhibiting the American publics freedom to pursue the educational
and financial needs to get by in a society with an unstable economy. Also, passing of such a law

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under the belief that it promotes unity among the populace is a misconception in that voluntary
service would only create a culture of volunteerism if the service is actually voluntary, rather
than enforced by a higher power. It is of the utmost important and the duty of any sufficient
government to put the needs of the general public ahead of all else, including goals of
establishing any values among the people.

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Works Cited
"13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery." National
Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records
Administration, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Friedersdorf, Conor. "The Case Against Universal National Service." The
Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 26 June 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Izzo, Phil. "Congratulations to Class of 2014, Most Indebted Ever." The Wall
Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc, 16 May 2014. Web. 27 Oct.
2014.
Posel, Susanne. "HR 748: Require All Young Americans to Enlist in a Civilian
Army Program - Top US & World News | Susanne Posel." Top US World News
Susanne Posel. Foundation Media, LLC, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
United States. Cong. House. Universal National Service Act. 113th Cong. H. 748.
Washington: GPO, 2013-14. Print.