The importance of government service

More than one hundred years ago, Woodrow Wilson challenged Princeton to prepare its students for "the nation's service." He believed that the finest young people, students at this University, needed to apply their intelligence and energies to the problems facing the world. In 1903, he wrote to Andrew Carnegie of a plan that lay at the center of his "most interesting hopes," for a "School of Jurisprudence and Government ... a school of law, but not in any narrow or technical sense: a school, rather, in which law and institutions would be interpreted as instruments of peace, of freedom and of the advancement of civilization ... "

Every year, as we did this past weekend, the University awards the Woodrow Wilson Prize, the highest honor bestowed upon undergraduate alumni, in recognition of outstanding contributions to public service. The roster of Woodrow Wilson Award winners includes many of Princeton's greatest contributors to public service, particularly — though by no means exclusively — through government service.

Not long ago, I participated in a forum entitled "Intellectuals and the Institution" that was called to address the political balance of speakers invited to campus. The Wilson School invites speakers who will stimulate discussion and engage students on important issues; I stand by the speakers invited to Princeton this year in honor of the School's 75th Anniversary. What disturbed me about the forum was not the debate over political balance, but the suggestion made by some of the evening's student organizers that government service, or aspirations to serve in government, were embarrassing or even shameful. I was particularly troubled by what I have since determined to be false allegations against our alumnus Lt. General David Petraeus GS '85 '87, who served with great distinction commanding troops in Mosul and training Iraqi security forces. Students who disagree with the war in Iraq should voice their disagreement and engage in a dialogue about the course of U.S. foreign policy. But part of the tragedy of the Vietnam War was that opposition to policies pursued by the government became a blanket condemnation of all who carried out those policies, including drafted soldiers and those who had joined the military to serve their country. That began a decades-long slide into the cynicism and distrust of government that is so prevalent today.

Yet, as Eliot Spitzer '81, currently running for governor of New York, argues: "Government matters."

If we hope to effect change, we cannot only go to the ballot boxes on Election Day. We must put our own talents to work on behalf of local, state, federal and international government. When Richard Clarke came to the Wilson School, he lambasted the Bush administration's counter-terrorism policy. At the end of his talk, I asked if he would encourage the students in the audience to work for this government at this time. Clarke replied, "Absolutely."

He explained that he had entered government service in 1973 when he was deeply opposed to U.S. policy in Vietnam. He said that to make a difference, to ensure change for the better, students had to join the government, not simply protest against it. I could not agree more.

I believe that Princeton students continue to understand the importance of government service. Just last week, the editorial board of The Daily Princetonian called upon the University to increase summer funding for public interest internships. That Princeton students look beyond conventional wisdom and cynicism and see an opportunity to put their talents to use gives me great hope.

To that end, I was proud to announce this past Friday, the establishment of the Scholars in the Nation's Service initiative. Next fall, five Princeton undergraduates will be selected to receive special preparation for government service. The students will not just be School majors; some will be engineers, scientists or majors in critical languages like Chinese or Arabic. Working with faculty and representatives from the Washington-based Partnership for Public Service, Scholars will learn the workings of the federal government and receive assistance to identify jobs that will allow them to assume public responsibility. They will also participate in a fully funded summer internship with the federal government. Upon graduation, the scholarship will pay for students to spend two years working in the federal government, with special emphasis on positions in international affairs, and to return to Princeton to complete their MPAs. With this foundation, our Scholars in the Nation's Service will have the training, experience and credentials to pursue exciting and fulfilling careers in government service.

The Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative will begin with five students, but I am hopeful it will soon grow, allowing more undergraduates and graduate students to participate. We will need our best students if we hope to reconstruct Iraq or rebuild New Orleans. We need you in the government, tackling critical public problems at home and abroad. Wilson knew this more than one hundred years ago. We must work to ensure that Princeton remains a university devoted to being "in the nation's service and the service of all nations." Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 is the Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She can be reached at slaughtr@princeton.edu.