This election season, we must ask: Where is America's farm team? | Opinion

This is a delicate moment for American democracy. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that only 22 percent of Americans trust the government in Washington to do the right thing. In 1958, when the survey began, that figure was almost 66 percent.

While external threats such as the rise of authoritarian leaders challenge freedom around the world, troubling domestic trends, particularly rising partisanship and declining civic engagement, are just as serious, if not more serious, for America's future. Mayor Eric Adams of New York City often asks, given the lack of young people entering public service, “Where's our farm team?”

In this difficult moment, politicians and citizens must think creatively and tap into new resources to reverse polarization and reignite interest in public service.

One such resource we must consider is our war veterans. Despite these politically divided times, the military remains apolitical. Today's active-duty U.S. service members are more diverse than at any time in history, but remain steadfastly united in defense of the Constitution – a combination of pluralism and a willingness to serve that embodies the greatest American value. In fact, veterans tend to be more civically minded than the average civilian. They vote more frequently and engage in public service more frequently. Veterans volunteered an average of 95 hours per year, compared to 74 hours for non-veterans.

Each year, approximately 200,000 service members leave the military and return to civilian life. This transition is often portrayed as a challenge, but as a society, we must turn the story around and see it for what it really is—an incredible opportunity to engage a civic-minded population committed to the Constitution and protecting our way of life, starting at the local level.

Cities and towns are the beating heart of American democracy. Beyond the political machinations and partisan politics of Washington, local governments are the ones that “get things done.” Yet despite their essential role in American life, local governments face significant challenges in installing and developing new leaders.

According to the State of Local Leadership Pipeline 2023 report, only 25 percent of government leaders surveyed rated their leadership talent as good. Perhaps most troubling, nearly half of respondents fear a lack of leadership could trigger a “crisis” for local governments.

By engaging veterans, we may be able to begin to address these troubling trends.

Veterans' skills are undeniably impressive – from conflict de-escalation to technical competency to crisis leadership. These skills and civic values ​​make them a natural choice for local government. One only has to look at New York City to see the impact of welcoming veterans and supporting their professional development in civilian life. Today, New York City government alone employs over 6,805 veterans, including veterans who lead the Mayor's Office of International Affairs, the New York City Department of Veterans Services, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and New York City Emergency Management.

So how can local governments encourage more veterans to participate in community life?

First, communities should allocate more resources (a clear return on investment) to actively recruit veterans who are just returning to civilian life or will soon do so. These pipeline programs can take a variety of forms, such as fellowships within the government or rotating internships across different agencies to help veterans understand the variety of opportunities available – an understanding of government that is not possible from an outside perspective alone.

An excellent program for recruiting new employees is the U.S. Department of Defense's SkillBridge program. It allows departing soldiers to work full-time at a private, nonprofit, or government company until their final six months in the military.

Where possible, cities should also establish their own veterans' agencies, focusing not only on building connections between military personnel and the private sector, but also on ensuring that entering government service is a viable and attractive option. Eight years ago, New York City established the first municipal veterans' agency, which is now headed by James Hendon, himself an Army veteran. Smaller cities and towns that border one another could consider pooling their resources and local knowledge to establish regional veterans' agencies.

Finally, cities and towns should not underestimate their own power as public policy actors. Public life thrives on citizen engagement, whether through job fairs or initiatives like Big Apple TAP, an annual event that brings together hundreds of veterans organizations, nonprofits, universities and businesses to showcase various civilian opportunities for veterans.

Building better channels for veterans to enter public service is a win-win for American democracy and the people who have served in the armed forces. As a country, we must take a more dynamic approach to supporting veterans—one that aims to maximize their potential as an invigorating force for public life.

Kristen Edgreen Kaufman is the Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs in the Office of the Mayor of New York City and a participant in the 95th Joint Conference on Civil Operations (JCOC) of the Department of Defense (DOD).

The views expressed in this article are those of the author.