Public Service: A Noble Calling

• Author: Nancy Pelosi
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12644
• Published date: 01 November 2016
• Date: 01 November 2016

846 Public Administration Review • November | December 2016

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 76, Iss. 6, pp. 846–847. © 2016 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12644.

This Perspective is adapted from remarks

by the U.S. House of Representatives

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi at the

convocation ceremony for the graduates of

the New York University Wagner School of

Public Service (May 17, 2016).

Nancy Pelosi is Democratic Leader of the

U.S. House of Representatives for the 114th

Congress. From 2007 to 2011, Pelosi served

as Speaker of the House, the first woman to

do so in American history.

E-mail: caroline.behringer@mail.house.gov

Perspective

W e were raised and taught that public service

is a noble calling to foster in ourselves,

and a calling to be respected in others.

And when we were taught that about public service,

we were taught to respect those, again, who were

engaged in it. And that meant Republicans, as well

as Democrats, as well as others interested in public

service. This idea of division just really was not part of

how we were raised. It was more about respect.

I hope that some of you will consider elected office for

yourself—for yourselves or to help others.

It is not of the faint of heart. But it is urgent to have

your vision, your values, and your talent. Whether

the next steps you take are in public, nonprofit, or

private sectors, each of you is here because you have

answered the call to purpose, a call to service. Thank

you for having the courage to enter the arena of

public service.

Your engagement is urgent because we see right now

today in America an anti-governance attitude that

rages in the public debate, that manifests itself in acts

of Congress and undermines our ability to engage in

public, private, nonprofit partnerships—so necessary

to our country ’ s success—and that our Founders

recognized.

The debate on the role of government is as old as

our Republic. But what is happening today is totally

beyond the liberal-to-conservative spectrum. Anti-

government ideology is manifested in woeful public

budgets, in anti-public employee rhetoric, in “anti-

diversity” rhetoric, in denying the climate change

and rejecting science when it comes to biomedical

research.

The denying of science gives comfort to those who

reject the public sector playing its proper role in acting

upon evidence. If you refuse to accept the data, you

can comfortably ignore the need to act upon it.

It creates false choices in our budget like the absurdity

of cutting education in the name of deficit reduction.

Nothing—this is a fact—brings more money back

to the Treasury than investments in education of the

American people.

Early childhood, K–12, higher education, and lifetime

learning.

It is also contradictory when anti-governance ideology

demands a shrunken government when it comes to

investments in the future, but expands government ’ s

intrusion into people ’ s personal lives.

Of course, we constantly must work tirelessly to make

government more streamlined and more effective, but

this ideology is something different and destructive.

The public expects and deserves a presidential

campaign that will hopefully afford us a dignified

debate on how we ensure liberty and justice for all,

and to restore the public ’ s confidence and trust. I hope

we will have both.

President Lincoln said “public sentiment is

everything.” The trust and confidence of the American

people, I go on to say, is grossly undermined by the

role of money in campaigns. So I take you to your

second challenge.

Our Founders pledged their lives, their liberty, and

their sacred honor for a democracy: a government

of the many, not government of the money. Many,

not money. Big, secret, dark money is a cancer that

suffocates the airwaves, smothers true debate, and

suppresses voter participation. We cannot stop until

we overturn Citizens United , and reverse the damage it

has done to our democracy.

A government of the many, not a government of the

money. I repeat: It must be the first bill passed by the

new Congress and we must ensure in this campaign

that everyone who is elected understands that. Only

Nancy Pelosi

U.S. House of Representatives

Public Service: A Noble Calling