As the military tests new approaches to pulling in more recruits, a controversial proposal has come out of early discussions with one of the Democratic presidential candidates: one year of mandatory national service for every American. Pete Buttigieg, a Navy veteran and the mayor of South Bend, Ind., mentioned the idea in April during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow as a program to improve social cohesion in the United States. “One thing we could do that would change that would be to make it, if not legally obligatory but certainly a social norm, that anybody after they’re 18 spends a year in national service,” Buttigieg said. (He did not indicate whether this would be military service or expand to programs like AmeriCorps.)

It’s not the first time a form of required national service has been suggested as a way to unite the country. For instance, Gen. Stanley McChrystal proposed the idea in 2014 “to create a new rite of passage into adulthood and forge a renewed sense of citizenship.” The plan didn’t go anywhere, but the introduction of such a concept has prompted debates about whether mandatory national service is undemocratic or whether it’s the path toward a stronger sense of solidarity among Americans. I’ll be curious to see if Buttigieg’s remark becomes a campaign talking point going into the 2020 election.

What are your thoughts on one year of mandatory national service, in the military or in a civic organization? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

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