Foundations of Public Service

Public service is as old as civilization itself. In ancient Athens, 4th or 5th century B.C., young men entered a two-year period of civic and military service. Concurrently, in ancient China a full-fledged bureaucracy emerged to serve the public interest. Ever since, and throughout the world, public servants have continued to honor oaths of office, to deliver necessary services, and to build the capacities of their governments.