Public Service 101: Five Things You Should Know About Civil Servants
People often equate the federal government with Congress and elected leaders, but our government encompasses so much more than that. There are more than 2 million civil servants responsible for issues vital to the health of our nation, from ensuring national security to administering health insurance programs and so much more. Yet many people don’t know who civil servants are or what they do—we’re here to tell you! Watch our video to learn more about the federal civil service and the hard work civil servants do every day.
Our Government Explained (in 3 Minutes or Less): Education and Work Play Huge Roles in our Lives
We spend decades of our lives in school and at work. The latest video in the Partnership’s “Our Government Explained” series describes ways the departments of Education and Labor improve student education and protect us at our jobs. You’ll hear from Faatimah Muhammad and Jessica Ramakis at the Education Department, and Patricia Davidson at the Labor Department.
Our Government Explained (in 3 Minutes or Less): Why do we Pay Taxes?
In the first video of season two of the Partnership’s “Our Government Explained” series, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel joins us to talk about why we need to pay taxes and where the money goes. Watch now to learn about the on-again, off-again early days of taxation and the many benefits and services our taxes pay for today. Throughout this season, we’ll be delving into the work that different federal agencies do. Stay tuned!
Sammies 2023 Sizzle Reel
On October 16, the Partnership for Public Service held the 22nd annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals gala.
Moving $3 Billion Boulders to Invest in American Communities
May 9, 2023 | 39 min
The third season of “Profiles in Public Service” is off to an exciting start as we highlight all that our federal government does to strengthen local communities across America. In our first episode, Craig Buerstatte, a program and policy leader at the Economic Development Administration, shares how he and his team managed to equitably distribute $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding to 780 projects that assist local communities in creating more robust and resilient regional economies. These efforts included the EDA’s $500 million Good Jobs Challenge, led by Lauren Starks, and benefited organizations like the Illinois-based nonprofit, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, led by Patrick Combs.
Rep. Andy Kim on Strengthening Democracy Through Service
January 20, 2023 | 47 min
“Profiles in Public Service” is honored to have Rep. Andy Kim from New Jersey’s 3rd District join us as the final guest of our second season. Congressman Kim is committed to empowering a greater belief in service, democracy, and a more mission-driven government. In 2018, Kim chose to apply his unique combination of experiences working as a career public servant at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House National Security Council to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. Once elected, he became the first Korean American Democrat elected to Congress. In this episode, Congressman Kim discusses his professional journey in public service, what he is doing to build greater trust in government among not only his constituents, but among all Americans, and his proposed legislation to aimed at “supercharging national service” and creating more pathways for all to enter government work.
Exploring “The Peaceful Transfer of Power”
October 14, 2022 | 46 minutes
In the latest episode of "Profiles in Public Service," we hear from Guatam Raghavan, the director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel for the Biden administration and a former team lead for Biden presidential transition. Raghavan identifies the key takeaways from his experience working on the Biden presidential transition and discusses the process of recruiting nearly 4,000 presidential appointees for positions across the government. Raghavan also discusses his own journey into public service, and why anyone passionate about making a positive difference should consider applying to work in the government. Valerie Smith Boyd, the director of the Partnership's Center for Presidential Transition, and David Marchick, author of "The Peaceful Transfer of Power: An Oral History of Presidential Transitions," join Raghavan to discuss the challenges the Biden transition team faced in 2020-2021, and the importance of the peaceful transfer of power for our democracy.
A Deep Dive into Ocean Science and Scientific Integrity
September 30, 2022 | 46 minutes
In the latest episode of "Profiles in Public Service," we hear from 2022 Service to America Medals® finalist Craig McLean, who spent four decades at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration improving our nation's understanding of ocean activity in relation to global warming, severe weather and marine life. Ben Friedman, the agency's longest serving deputy under secretary for operations, joins McLean to discuss NOAA's commitment to scientific integrity and the importance of environmental careers in the federal government.
