National Service or Servitude?

Notre Dame International Security Center

Summary: In this episode of Outside the Box, Mike and Jim are joined by Doug Bandow of the CATO Institute to discuss national service. We are once again hearing calls to institute some form of national service; whether in the military through conscription or via some form of mandatory civilian service along the lines of AmeriCorps. Proponents of some form of national service could bolster citizen engagement with our national life and inculcate a stronger sense of community, especially among younger Americas. Critics worry about both the feasibility as well as the ethics of imposing mandatory national service. We'll hash these things out on our next show.