Comments on: National Public Service Academy Revisited

By: NBID Hammers the Public Service Academy | Adam's Blog

NBID Hammers the Public Service Academy | Adam's Blog — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:57:22 +0000

[...] I’ve discussed this in the past and it’s not as bad as it sounds from NBID either. Having Hillary Clinton endorse it may have [...]

By: Adam Graham

Adam Graham — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:56:09 +0000

There’s something for that. I also think it’s a tad naive to speak seriously of what this Academy will be. It’ll go to the hands of administrators and teachers, who’ll shape it and we can only guess based on human history where this is going to go.

By: Peter Duveen

Peter Duveen — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:45:07 +0000

The fact that our leadership comes from a diversity of institutions and backgrounds ensures that a constructive dialog develops that generates solutions. The intellectual constraints imposed by a single institution could be devastating to this process. And perhaps this is exactly the purpose of the National Public Service Academy. I’ve addressed some of these issues on my own blog. I tend to side with Adam on this issue. To call this a grass roots effort belies the interesting base of support it has quickly generated. What’s this Academy for? It’s about teachers, or its about public servants or…its $200 million for what? Reminds me of the War In Iraq. It’s for WMD’s, or to get Sadaam Hussein, or to stop al Q. or none of the above.

By: Chris Myers Asch

Chris Myers Asch — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:45:43 +0000

You are right to worry about “unintended consequences,” though I think the crack about a “university for politicians” is misguided — Academy graduates would not be allowed to engage in partisan political work during their five years of post-graduation service. The Academy is aimed at nonpartisan (yes, there is indeed such a thing) public service, the kind of work we all count on. Aspiring politicians would not be interested in the intensity of the Academy.

Those of you worried about cost bring up a legitimate point, and I certainly hope that you bring your anti-deficit and cost-conscious vigor to the serious drains on our federal budget — the war and Medicare. Arguing about a program of the Academy’s size while ignoring the economic consequences of the war misses the big picture.

Reinvigorating our public service and strengthening our civilian leadership are not just “nice,” they are necessary. Look at Katrina — poor leadership and poor execution led to billions in wasted taxpayer money. The kind of waste to which we have become accustomed in our public institutions stems not just from congressional irresponsibility, but also from a weakened public service ethic. We can and should do better.

Chris

By: Adam Graham

Adam Graham — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:47:18 +0000

“I worry about unintended consequences.”

That makes you a thinking person. Unfortunatley, we rarely consider the unintended consequences. I know these people meanwell, but this seems an idea that’s destined to become a multi-billion dollar sinkhole.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:54:10 +0000

I think it was Joe Klein in Time that recently wrote about something akin to this. However, his idea was to have a requirement of public service, sort of like other countries’ military service requirement, but rather than having to serve in the military it would require everyone to serve in schools and the like. Not quite the same as this university for politicians, but basically the same idea I think; an effort to get people more involved in the process.

An interesting idea, and pretty noble sounding, but I worry about unintended consequences.