ABSTRACT
The profile of AmeriCorps is on the rise as both sides of the political spectrum see national service as potentially an important element of building patriotism and creating a sense of national purpose. One of the distinctive features of national service programs is that they represent the principal point of direct contact—and occasional friction— between government and volunteer efforts. The idea of national service is based on the notion that citizenship is not a passive concept, but rather demands enactment and commitment. Among communitarians, national service has a distinct attraction if it can be used to build trust, create greater levels of solidarity within communities, and combat trends of civic disengagement. One way to collect information about the impact of the introduction of national service volunteers on organizational capacity and performance is to treat the vast number of technical assistance interventions carried out on behalf of Corporation for National and Community Service as data.
