PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

21with a lack of satisfaction when they do. Delli Carpini argues, “Americans do not lackfor problems that concern them and express a strong if sometimes ambivalent desire to bemore engaged in public life. What is missing is the belief that becoming involved inpublic life in any way that involves politics, government, or organized collective action. . . is likely to be effective or satisfying.” 63 People participate in service because thereis a reciprocal effect; service should help others and make the volunteer or participantfeel good about his or her service.Along with making a difference or feeling a sense of satisfaction, anothercontributing factor to civic participation is the relationship between trust in anorganization and participation in that organization. Trust functions as a catalyst thatstrengthens the connection between social associations and civic participation. Zukin, etal. claim that public trust has declined over the last 40 years because of governmentscandal and unpopular wars. 64People often do not trust in their government or thepolitical process and refuse to participate in that process. The theory of social trustcontends that people involved in non-political settings “should be even more likely tobecome civic participants when they hold trusting attitudes.” 65Young Americans are notparticipating because they feel alienated from the process either by dissatisfaction withtheir experiences or a loss of trust in politics; this suggests that today Americans see thefuture of democratic citizenship as more civic than political. 66Interest in civic participation has not only shifted away from the political; it hasalso shifted away from the public sector in general. Delli Carpini has followed thisdetachment and states:This lack in the efficacy of civic involvement results from the systematic