In a recent op-ed in The Washington Post, David Ignatius cited Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s essay in Democracy‘s Summer 2014 issue making the case for national service. That essay was part of a larger symposium in partnership with the Franklin Project, about why national service matters and how it can be implemented.

Ignatius writes:

The Franklin Project envisions a network that by 2023 would allow 1 million Americans between 18 and 28 to serve the country each year through the military or civilian programs such as Teach for America or the Peace Corps and eligible nonprofit organizations. Unlike a wartime draft, this program would rely on a cultural norm that service is expected….

What’s attractive about this approach is that it isn’t an old-fashioned draft that compels service but a modern, technology-driven network that matches people with jobs. The paradox of social networks is that they sometimes seem to fragment people into niche groups and political affinities. Here’s a social network that would connect diverse communities rather than reinforce dividing lines.

To read the entire symposium, click here.