What Is the Role of Public Service in the U.S.?
Ask students: When did the modern federal government begin to take shape?
The role of the federal government has been at the center of a national debate over the last few months. But who really is our government and what is it made of? Judy Woodruff set out for answers in her ongoing series, America at a Crossroads.
View the transcript of the story. News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
Discussion Questions
- How did Christopher Mark use his expertise to save lives?
- Who is Michael Lewis, and what is his background?
- Why did Lewis create the book "Who is Government"?
- How is the Trump administration slashing federal government, and what is their goal?
- When did the modern federal government begin to take shape, according to this segment?
Focus Questions
Christopher Marks argues that if a private company, such as a mining firm, had controlled his innovation to make mines safer, it would have held onto the innovation as a trade secret to gain an advantage over competitors. However, because the idea was developed within the federal government, it could be shared with everyone who needed it.
- Do you think this is a good reason to invest in public research, such as through federal programs?
- Do you think there are any downsides to public ownership of innovations?
- How else do you think research and innovation by the federal government differ from those by private companies or individuals?
Media literacy: Michael Lewis explains that the contributions of civil servants such as Christopher Mark are often invisible to the public, and so he developed "Who is Government" to give a face to often anonymous work. Do you think knowing more about the work of federal public servants might change U.S. citizens' attitudes toward the value of federal programs?
Extension Activity
Many in the U.S. think of the federal government and federal agencies as all being clustered in Washington, D.C., but there are federal buildings and workers all throughout the U.S.
Use this resource from the General Services Administration to find out what federal offices are doing in your community. Do you know if they've been impacted by federal cuts? How do you think your community would be effected if the offices near you closed down entirely?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
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