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Truman scholar Scott Moore '08 Politico editorial: "Obama's new era of service"
Scott Moore, a 2008 graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School, authored the Politico editorial, "Obama's new era of service," which highlights the parallels between presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama and President Kennedy in calling the nation to government and community service.
Moore, whose senior thesis focused on national service and is a Harry S. Truman Scholar - awarded to college students committed to careers in public service - points out in the article that among the "many comparisons that have been drawn between Sen. Barack Obama and President John F. Kennedy, one has so far escaped mention: their advocacy of public service. Nonetheless, it is a comparison worth noting. Properly implemented, an expanded program of national and community service can be a central part of the next administration’s policy agenda and can prove to be an enduring legacy — a lesson that the Kennedy comparison illustrates."
Moore notes that in a July 2 speech at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Obama pledged to make service “a cause of my presidency," and further stated "government depends not just on the consent of the governed but on the service of citizens."
If elected Obama would be "well-advised" to make public service central to his presidency, Moore writes, noting that "National and community service programs offer unparalleled opportunities — from tutoring to natural disaster response — for ordinary citizens to engage in some of the nation’s most pressing public policy problems."
Moreover, Moore asserts, "Americans of many stripes are enthusiastic about serving their country and communities. The congressionally chartered National Conference on Citizenship reported last year that America’s volunteering rates are at historic highs."
The author also observes that "Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has spoken of national service as embodying 'the virtues of patriotism that conservatives cherish.' The next presidential administration can build on this broad and growing desire for civic engagement by fostering a culture of service, in which service to both nation and community is seen as an essential element of citizenship in America."
Moore, whose senior thesis focused on national service and is a Harry S. Truman Scholar - awarded to college students committed to careers in public service - points out in the article that among the "many comparisons that have been drawn between Sen. Barack Obama and President John F. Kennedy, one has so far escaped mention: their advocacy of public service. Nonetheless, it is a comparison worth noting. Properly implemented, an expanded program of national and community service can be a central part of the next administration’s policy agenda and can prove to be an enduring legacy — a lesson that the Kennedy comparison illustrates."
Moore notes that in a July 2 speech at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Obama pledged to make service “a cause of my presidency," and further stated "government depends not just on the consent of the governed but on the service of citizens."
If elected Obama would be "well-advised" to make public service central to his presidency, Moore writes, noting that "National and community service programs offer unparalleled opportunities — from tutoring to natural disaster response — for ordinary citizens to engage in some of the nation’s most pressing public policy problems."
Moreover, Moore asserts, "Americans of many stripes are enthusiastic about serving their country and communities. The congressionally chartered National Conference on Citizenship reported last year that America’s volunteering rates are at historic highs."
The author also observes that "Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has spoken of national service as embodying 'the virtues of patriotism that conservatives cherish.' The next presidential administration can build on this broad and growing desire for civic engagement by fostering a culture of service, in which service to both nation and community is seen as an essential element of citizenship in America."