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Edna Fenollal

Prof. Lombardi

English 102

27 August 2014

Mandatory Service

Mandatory service is the requirement by a national body that young individuals, typically

those of the age just leaving high school, are required by law to serve in a government position.

Some forms of national service have been created as a matter of necessity, the most famous of

which in American history has been the military draft. Quite apart from being just a military

venture, mandatory service has the ability to encompass many job fields at the federal, state, and

local levels, providing tangible economic benefits and perhaps even combatting the continuing

apathy of American youth. Mandatory service, both military and civil, may be the solution to

several problems facing American society.

Often, when the subject of mandatory service is raised, the first thought in American

minds is the military draft, particularly the most recent incarnation of it during the Vietnam War.

While military service was certainly not mandatory at the time, the threat of the draft did

encourage otherwise eligible individuals to volunteer (at a better standing) rather than be forced

into the position. And while the majority of military remained professional, approximately a

quarter of it was made out of these draftees (Erikson and Stoker 15).

However, mandatory service does not strictly mean military service. Service to the State

can include many jobs even at a more local level: police, firemen, teachers, and other civil

servants are many of those who are employed in socially beneficial and government-paid jobs.

Lawmakers, executive branches, prisons, immigration, benefits analysts, tax collectors—they all

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have a part to play in national service and can all benefit from mandating employment in that

service. In the cases of jobs with educational requirements, the time of service would be

deferrable until after such an education was completed.

The fears which are raised by opponents to social service tend towards the legal. The

hyperbole rises to accusations of servitude and slavery by the state, as though social service

amounted to an infringement on basic human rights. While these exaggerations are meant to

influence emotional reactions, there remains a concern that mandatory service could be

antithetical to American values or even constitutional law (Ding). Can forcing an adult into a job

be judged as legal? Often used as evidence that a draft is in fact illegal, the Thirteenth

Amendment of the Constitution does state that “involuntary servitude” shall not exist in the

United States, although it does not make any particular indication as to the direct denotation of

that phrase. Quite apart from the libertarian point of view is another opponent to mandatory

service: that of a pacifist who may not realize that mandatory service can provide ample non-

military options.

Unfortunately a strictly emotional appeal ignores evidence that American society already

requires some actions from its citizens. Just prior to draft age, for example, the potential draftees

for military service attended high schools in a mandatory manner. The Constitution also makes a

point of allowing the national government to raise a military force, but does not expressly state

that such a force must be voluntary in nature (Article I). Additionally, while the Thirteenth

Amendment may ban slavery and involuntary servitude, subsequent court decisions have stated

that state-owed services are exempt.

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But arguing why mandatory service can be legal is not useful in providing the support for

why it should be adopted. The most important aspect of service that should be attractive to any

young libertarian is the opportunity for apprenticeship. Mandatory service includes the entire

scope of military and civil services that benefit the government; apprenticing within this system

for a year or two provides an individual with a basic set of skills which translate into invaluable

work experience for both the employee and potential employers. Additionally, the ability to

extend on into state service would provide stability for individuals not interested in continuing

education in other fields.

While in 1962 the federal military and executive branch employees were roughly equal in

quantity, the percentages have changed. The theoretical pacifist will be happy to note that the

executive now employs double the number of individuals as the combined military, highlighting

the idea that mandatory service does not necessarily equate to military service (OPM). There are

certainly opportunities for choice in how one provides service to the state, and these numbers do

not account for the potential of state-based appointments as being an equivalent form of

mandatory service. Any opponent to military service would therefore have ample alternatives.

A final point of agreement is money. Nearly every American thinks at least in part with

his or her pocketbook. Getting a job following high school has become a difficult necessity in

the market-driven world, and forgoing it for a chance at a college education is often

economically unfeasible (a choice which is possibly economically responsible, considering the

rising cost of tuitions and increase in post-college debt). National service is not national slavery;

the young men and women involved would of course be paid for their service with a wage that is

hopefully representative of the importance of their contribution to society. Such money could

help fund their educational futures and hopes for a stable job, or at the very least foster an

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environment of economic independence. Many countries, including Mexico, began the use of

mandatory service as a point of national necessity only to later discover it had provided

economic stability (Benton 3).

A potential byproduct of national service, or perhaps it should be regarded as the reason

for instating it, is national identity. Modern adults are wont to bemoan the apathy of the youth,

as one imagines their parents also did. Perhaps a system of mandatory government service will

force the issues that affect society as a whole to be more apparent for young Americans. If laws

and the federal government were to have a more real and present impact on their lives, might

these new adults embrace a more active role in the political world?

Mandatory service is not an untenable idea. Given the potential benefits, a serious

discussion of its potential benefits should be discussed, even if only at a state level. Perhaps

evidence of the economic and societal benefits at a lower level will promote the change at a

national level. Even if mandatory service can only solve the problem of political apathy, is it

possible that is enough of a reason to adopt a change in how Americans regard national identity?

Perhaps Americans could benefit from some advice from Gandhi. “The best way to find yourself

is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

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Works Cited

Benton, Allyson. "Diagnóstico Institucional del Sistema de Servicio Civil de México." Inter-American Development Bank. Distrito Federal, México. 17 Oct. 2012. Web. Retrieved on 12 Sept. 2014.

This is a study written to analyze the effects of mandatory service on the national government of Mexico. These documents are heavily reviewed by the ADB for accuracy.

Ding, Taide. “Mandatory community service is glorified slavery.” The Charger Online. 2012. Web. Retrieved on 14 Sept. 2014.

This is an editorial article against the use of mandatory service, particularly in response to actions made by President Obama. It is only lightly reviewed and almost entirely opinion in nature, although it is certainly representative of a very large school of opinion.

Erikson, Robert and Laura Stoker. “Caught in the Draft.” Columbia University. 2010. Web. Retrieved on 14 Sept. 2014.

Erikson and Stoker provide a deep look at the consequences of the draft, both in an historical context and as a construct for hypothetical arguments.

Office of Personnel Management. “Total Government Employment Since 1962.” OPM.gov. 2012. Web. Retrieved on 14 Sept. 2014.

The federal government keeps statistics through what could be seen as the HR of the executive branch. This data covered the division of employment between civil and military servants.

U.S. Constitution. Art. I, Sec. 8 & Amend. XIII, Sec. 1.

The Constitution outlines the basic functions of the government as well as personal freedoms that the federal government can not violate.

Edna,

You did an excellent job constructing a Rogerian argument about mandatory service. You present the problem well; assert your position; all the while exploring both sides until reaching a strong, insightful common ground, adorned with a Ghandi quote nonetheless! The piece is inspired, passionate, and well researched. I’d say -- again -- that you’re a gifted writer, but you already know that.

I really enjoyed reading this and having you in class.

Best,

Prof Thomas

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