How Does National Service Work — And Who Has to Do It?

What is national service and how common is it?

National service refers to government programs through which citizens (typically young adults) perform duties for their country. Some nations have mandatory national service (also called “compulsory service”), in which citizens are required to participate. In other countries, including the U.S., national service opportunities are voluntary.

Estimates suggest that roughly 60-85 countries have had some form of compulsory national service over the last decade. Many more countries provide voluntary national service opportunities for their citizens.

Most nations with mandatory national service require citizens to serve in the military. These include countries like Brazil, Iran, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey. Other countries have military conscription laws on the books, but do not enforce them.

The nature of mandatory military service differs across countries. The required length of service, for example, ranges anywhere from 18 weeks to 8 years. In some nations, only men are required to serve, while in others, women are also required. Some countries allow citizens to opt out of military service and instead perform other types of public work.

Only a handful of countries have non-military national service requirements. In Rwanda, for example, every citizen aged 18 to 65 must take part in a community cleanup on the last Saturday of each month. The program’s name – Umuganda, which translates to “coming together in common purpose” – speaks to the general motivation behind such initiatives: uniting citizens around shared civic goals.

Other nations, including the U.S., have programs that allow citizens to participate in voluntary public service. These programs are generally short-term, paid public service or military positions.

What does national service look like in the U.S.?

The United States does not have mandatory national service like some other countries, but it does have several voluntary national service programs.

• AmeriCorps houses a range of programs through which volunteers work to address poverty, the environment, education, and other communal needs.
• AmeriCorps Seniors is a similar program for volunteers over the age of 55 who help with academic tutoring, elderly care, disaster relief, and other civic initiatives.
• The Peace Corps is America’s primary outward-facing program, with participants volunteering abroad to help communities in other nations.
• Teach for America trains college graduates to teach in resource-challenged school districts.

The voluntary nature of these service programs means that participation is relatively low. This can be seen in the chart below, which shows the estimated number of volunteers in each program in the most recent year for which data is available The chart also shows the number of people participating in national military service. Military service is far more common than non-military service.

Currently, military participation in the U.S. is entirely voluntary, though eligible citizens (men aged 18-25) must register for the Selective Service. In times of war, a draft could be instituted, making military service mandatory for selected citizens. The last American draft was in 1973 during the Vietnam War.

What are the arguments for and against national service?

The main logic behind national service, whether voluntary or mandatory, is that public service is an important part of responsible citizenship. National service programs embody the spirit of President John F. Kennedy’s famous call for citizens to “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.

There are also a variety of benefits of national service that advocates point to. National service programs can contribute directly to the community, improving public infrastructure, educational and health outcomes, and other public goods. In the case of military service, compulsory participation can contribute to national security.

National service programs may also foster social cohesion by uniting participants around communal goals, often across regional, racial, class, religious, and political divides. Participation in service programs might increase trust in civic institutions and create a sense of national unity. Some advocates have suggested compulsory national service as a remedy to the deep polarization afflicting American society.

Other stated benefits of national service are more personal. Since many programs focus on young adults, they may help participants mature into adulthood, develop skills, and find a career they are passionate about.

The main arguments against national service tend to focus on mandatory service requirements. Some critics argue that volunteerism is a more authentic and beneficial form of civic engagement than requiring citizens to participate. Critics also argue that compulsory service infringes on Americans’ right to liberty.

Advocates and skeptics alike also disagree over which types of national service are most valuable and what goals these programs should pursue. Should national service programs focus on military participation, civic investments, or both? For programs that give back to the community, which communities should be prioritized, and what outcomes – like educational improvement, environmental protection, or poverty reduction – are most worthy of pursuing?

The Takeaway

National service is a common practice aimed at cultivating civic identity, fostering communal ties, and contributing to society. These are generally uncontroversial goals.

Disagreements persist over whether such service should be mandatory or voluntary, how to design national service programs, and what types of problems they should focus on.

The case of national service requirements demonstrates how citizens often share widely agreed-upon goals but can disagree over how to achieve those goals in practice. Moving from abstract values to policy design and implementation can be quite tricky.