How can we afford such large government programs as are proposed by National Service?
This is the same question posed by the Federalists in the 1st US Congress in response to the Universal Militia System. The answer is that the value creation of National Service will significantly outweigh its costs, and we have historical data that corroborates this. The Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (more commonly known as the Montgomery G.I. Bill) cost the US Government roughly $50 billion (2008) dollars. Despite its huge price tag, it generated more than $7 for every $1 invested, not to mention its social and cultural value-adds. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration employed over 8 million Americans and created 78,000 bridges, 650,000 miles of roads, 125,000 buildings, 700 miles of airport runways, and saved the Government untold billions of (2008) dollars relative to accomplishing the same work with design-bid-build contracts. K-12 education volunteers with AmeriCorps have produced statistically significant improvements in student performance while
