The following is taken from ProCon.org, a nonpartisan site that discusses and provides context for controversial issues. Please take a side on the issue – do not try to argue both sides equally – in a short, 2-3 paragraph response. A full essay is not required. You may write in first person (“I”) if you desire.
Responses will be graded as complete or incomplete; they will not receive a full letter grade or comments. Note that an “incomplete” may be assigned even if a response is submitted, if that material is deemed to be too short, too vague, or too off topic to count as a successful response.
Mandatory National Service
Proposals for the United States to implement mandatory national service, a requirement that people serve in the military or complete other works of service, trace back to the 1800s. Modern propositions for compulsory service envision that young Americans could join the military or do civilian projects such as teaching in low-income areas, helping care for the elderly, maintaining infrastructure, and much more.
Public opinion on mandatory national service is split: 49% favor one year of required service for young Americans, while 45% are opposed. Among adults ages 18 to 29, 39% are for the proposal and 57% are against. Is mandatory national service a path to unity and prosperity in these especially divided times, or an unconstitutional and unjust plan foisted on the nation’s youth by older generations?
