Conclusion: The “Next Gen” Public Service

Abstract

Chapter 5 closes the book with a discussion of the “next gen” public service. Even as Congress and the president embrace the regular reblending using the “reset and trade” system proposed in chapter 4, they must assure that the government-industrial complex embraces a continued commitment to public service, a mission that matters to the nation’s future, and a workforce that brings new vitality to aging institutions. Federal employees are going to retire in record numbers over the next decade, but their departures will not create a destructive “retirement tsunami” if Congress and the president act now to recruit and train the next generation of public servants wherever they work in the government-industrial complex.