Ethics Newsline®

From the Partnership for Public Service:

“The first survey of the ‘Class of 9/11′ — the first college class to have gone through four years of college affected by the events of that day — reveals that it will take more than an appeal to patriotism to inspire their generation to government service.

“The survey … finds that 83 percent of the members of the Class of 2005 describe themselves as patriotic and nearly half — 43 percent — of them say that the events of 9/11 made them more so. However, while 84 percent of those made more patriotic were instilled with a greater love of country and 50 percent were inspired to display the flag, only 20 percent of students said 9/11 made them more interested in government service.

“The findings come at a challenging time for the federal government. Just over half of the 1.9 million people in the federal government will be eligible to retire in the next five years, including about 70 percent of employees in supervisory positions. At the same time, the government is struggling to attract and retain skilled employees in a wide variety of fields — from intelligence to law enforcement to health care.

“When asked which event had a bigger impact on their view of the United States, the students were split evenly between the attacks of 9/11 and the war in Iraq. However, while 69 percent of those citing the attacks of 9/11 said it gave them a more positive view of the U.S., 85 percent of those citing the war in Iraq said it gave them a more negative view. And, while the vast majority — 69 percent — of the Class still expects a major terrorist attack in the next five years, as they prepare to leave school, a fear of being unemployed or going into debt far exceeds their fear of another terrorist attack. Perhaps because of the split over Iraq and these other concerns, a strong majority — 60 percent — reject the idea that they should have been asked to do more to help fight the war on terror.

“‘Our research shows that the patriotism surrounding 9/11 did not give the government a free pass in recruiting talent,’ said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. ‘We need a new call to public service, one that balances young people’s patriotism with two factors that are just as important to them: pay and prestige.’

“While members of the Class of 2005 did experience a sustained upswing in patriotism as a result of 9/11, most do not connect this greater love of country with serving in their country’s government….

“More than four in ten members of the Class — 43 percent — cited pay and benefits as the one reason that would make them most likely to consider a career in government. These seniors also expressed concern that the government cannot match the salaries the private sector offers and does not reward better performance with better pay….

“Whether a job is held in high regard is crucial to the Class’s career decisions. Yet two-thirds of seniors said getting a private sector job or starting their own business would make their parents prouder than getting a job in government. The highest academic achievers, those with ‘A’ averages, are the least likely to say that a government job would make their parents most proud….”