More from the News

Another NYT article!  (I'm dealing with the mid-semester slump right now, struggling to stay focused, and that distaste of schoolwork means I read more of the newspaper than usual.)

This interview with two columnists brings up the point that fewer recent grads want to go into government service.  I can say wholeheartedly that there is at least one--me!  My current plan, which is still vague and fuzzy, is to work for the federal government on energy and environmental policy. 

I find it sad that more students don't also want to work for the government.  Don't we all complain about the way our country is run, about the inevitable nose-dive into the ground of certain policies or politics?  It seems to me that when people talk politics, most of what they do is complain.  That's not particularly helpful, right?  What are you/we going to do about it?  Well, vote is one answer.  But as any economist can argue, your one vote only matters if you're in a swing county in a swing state voting for a candidate or issue without a solid lead.  I vote anyway, but as I see it, the better way to bring about change is to get involved.  So that's my plan.

What's disturbing in this article is the speculation about why students don't lean towards government service.  One opinion is that public service doesn't pay well enough to repay huge school loans.  Another is that the process of applying to federal jobs is too bureaucratic and nontransparent.  This ties into another point made earlier, in discussion about why students need not choose colleges based on status.  I am 100% in agreement that the elite schools of this nation aren't necessarily better than those ranked lower in the US News, but I can't deny that those elite schools do offer a stronger alumni network.  While you might get a similar education at a public university as at a private Ivy League, that public university may not offer you the same professional network to land a dream job after graduation.  I'm lucky enough to have chosen and been chosen by schools that I both loved and knew had strong networks, and at both, a large percentage of students do in fact work in government after graduation.

I guess what concerns me, then, is not that students aren't as interested in government as before, but that the ones landing those jobs might be from one specific educational demographic.  I don't have numbers to back that up, but it's something to think about, for sure.