This Election Season, We Must Ask—Where Is America’s Farm Team? | Opinion

This is a precarious moment for U.S. democracy. A recent study from Pew Research Center revealed that only 22 percent of Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right. In 1958, when the survey began, that number was nearly 66 percent.
While external threats such as ascendant authoritarian leaders present challenges to freedom globally, disturbing domestic trends, particularly those of worsening partisanship and plummeting civic engagement are equally, if not more consequential, for the future of America. As Mayor Eric Adams of New York City often asks regarding the lack of young people entering public service, “Where is our farm team?”
In this challenging moment, leaders and citizens must think creatively and tap into new resources to help reverse course on polarization and reignite interest in public service.
One such resource that we must consider is our military veterans. Despite these politically divisive times, the military remains steadfastly apolitical. Today’s active-duty U.S. service members are more diverse than any time in history, but remain unwaveringly united in protecting the Constitution—a combination of pluralism and service that embodies the greatest of American values. In fact, veterans tend to be more civically minded than the average civilian. They vote more and enter public service at a higher rate. Veterans averaged 95 hours of volunteer work a year, compared to 74 hours for non-veterans.
Each year, approximately 200,000 service members leave the military and rejoin civilian life. While this transitionary period is often framed as challenging, as a society, we need to flip the narrative and see this for what it truly is—an incredible opportunity to embrace a civically minded population dedicated to the Constitution and safeguarding our way of life, starting at the local level.
Towns and cities are the beating heart of U.S. democracy, and beyond the performative politics and partisanship of Washington, local government is where “stuff gets done.” But despite its essential role in American life, local government is facing its own significant challenges regarding the introduction and development of new civic leaders.
According to the 2023 State of Local Leadership Pipeline report, only 25 percent of government leaders surveyed rated their leadership pipeline as good. Perhaps most concerning, almost half of the those surveyed fear a lack of leadership could cause a “crisis” for local governments.
By embracing veterans, we may be able to begin to address these troubling trends.
The veteran toolbelt is undeniably impressive—from conflict de-escalation to technical proficiency and leadership in crisis—skills and civic values that make them a natural fit to contribute to local government. One need only look at New York City to see the impact that comes as a result of embracing veterans and supporting their professional development in civilian life. Today, NYC’s government alone employs over 6,805 veterans, with veterans leading the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, NYC’s Department of Veterans’ Services, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and NYC Emergency Management.
So how can local governments encourage more veterans to enter municipal life?
For starters, communities should allocate greater resources (a no-brainer return on investment) to actively engage with and recruit veterans who are or soon will be transitioning into civilian life. These pipeline programs can take various forms such as offering in-government fellowships and rotating elevated internships across a variety of agencies to expose veterans to the array of opportunities available—an understanding of government that is impossible from an outside perspective alone.
One excellent pipeline effort is the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which allows transitioning service members to spend up to their final six months in the military working full time for a private sector, nonprofit or government employer.
When possible, cities should also establish their own veterans’ affairs agencies with a significant focus not only on creating connections for service members to the private sector but also ensuring that entering government service is a viable and appealing option. Eight years ago, New York City established the first city-led veterans’ affairs agency, which today is led by James Hendon, himself an Army veteran. Smaller cities and municipalities that neighbor one another might consider pooling their resources and local knowledge to create regional veterans’ affairs offices.
Lastly, cities and towns should not underestimate their own power as civic conveners. Public life thrives on public engagement, whether through job fairs or initiatives such as Big Apple TAP, an annual event that convenes hundreds of veterans’ affairs entities, nonprofits, universities, and corporate employers to showcase various civilian opportunities for veterans.
Building more robust pipelines for veterans to enter local public service is a win-win for both American democracy and those individuals 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 a re-invigorating force for public life.
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman is a deputy commissioner in New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs and a participant of the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) 95th Joint Civilian Operations Conference (JCOC).
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.