I've been kept apprised of the Public Service Academy idea by a friend who's an active volunteer and I think it's pretty interesting.

The New York Times interviewed Chris Myers Asch, the campaign's creator and primary advocate, on prospects for his vision under the Obama administration.

"The Public Service Academy can be Barack Obama’s Peace Corps," Mr. Asch said. “He needs to take advantage of this moment when people are recognizing the importance of government and build institutions that will last."

    There is no word on whether Mr. Obama agrees, but the proposed academy has drawn past endorsements from the vice president-elect, Joseph R. Biden Jr.; the incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel; and at least three cabinet nominees. People who once mocked Mr. Asch’s presumption now congratulate him on his timing.

    The surprising ascent of Mr. Asch’s idea can be read as an upbeat tale of Washington’s openness to a citizen-advocate (Mr. Asch’s view) or evidence of its enduring weakness for expensive big-government schemes (as some of his critics contend).

    But it is also a sign of something more basic: the frustration Americans feel with the bureaucratic status quo.

I probably don't know enough about the logistics and scale of such a grand idea to properly assess its prospects, but its intention is sound - a corp of better people committing their careers to government service. I can definitely get behind that.