The Case For National Service

Republicans:

RUDY GIULIANI

Has no specific national-service plan, but the former mayor of New York City opposes anything mandatory, especially involving the military.

MIKE HUCKABEE

The former Arkansas Governor wants to maintain Americans' strong service ethic. After Hurricane Katrina hit, he says, "one of my proudest moments came in seeing the huge outpouring of love and compassion from citizens of my state."

JOHN MCCAIN

Supports incentives for national service but nothing mandatory. In late 2001 the Arizona Senator proposed an $18,000 bonus and shorter enlistment period to encourage young people to enter the military. The bill never passed Congress.

MITT ROMNEY

The former Massachusetts Governor had no comment on national service, saying he will discuss his views on the issue at a later time.

Democrats:

JOE BIDEN

Backs the creation of a U.S. Public Service Academy that would offer a subsidized college education in exchange for five years of public service. The Delaware Senator says people in public-interest careers, like teaching, should get help repaying student loans.

HILLARY CLINTON

The New York Senator also supports a U.S. Public Service Academy, modeled on the military academies, and introduced legislation to fund it. Cites her involvement with AmeriCorps, founded under Bill Clinton in 1994.

CHRIS DODD

A former Peace Corps volunteer, Dodd has made national service his signature issue. In an extensive plan, the Connecticut Senator proposes incentive grants for senior volunteers and would require public high school students to do 100 hours of service.

JOHN EDWARDS

Favors a mandatory community service requirement for high school graduation. The former North Carolina Senator has organized One Corps for local volunteers and wants to create a GreenCorps to focus on global warming.

BARACK OBAMA

The Illinois Senator proposes a national-service program that would engage disadvantaged youth in energy-efficiency and environmental work in their communities so that they could gain practical skills.

BILL RICHARDSON

Supports expanding loan forgiveness for workers in a wide variety of public-service fields, including child care, law enforcement and public health — similar to the system he started as Governor of New Mexico.

With reporting by Katie Rooney, Tracy Schmidt, M.J. Stephey, Kristina Dell