Views on national service. (Opinion Pulse).(Brief Article)(Polling Data)

In his State of the Union message, President George W. Bush called on every American to serve the country for two years, or 4,000 hours, over the course of a lifetime. Around 60 percent of the public favor a service requirement for young men. Fifty percent favor one for young women. Young people are less enthusiastic than their elders about such a service requirement. Rising numbers of college freshmen say they volunteer, perhaps because it is a requirement for many.

 
Question: Do you feel the following ... is an obligation a citizen owes 
          to the country? 
 
                                                  Very important 
 
     Reporting a crime you may have witnessed           90% 
         Attending parent-teacher conferences           89 
                          Voting in elections           87 
   Being able to speak and understand English           85 
           Serving in the military if drafted           76 
     Keeping fully informed about news/issues           73 
                  Serving on a jury if called           73 
      Contributing to help the less fortunate           71 
            Protesting unjust public policies           61 
Participating in town hall community decision 
                              making meetings           59 
   Participating in neighborhood associations           56 
 Volunteering some time to community services           55 
                Volunteering for the military           48 
 
                                                     Somewhat 
                                                     important 
 
     Reporting a crime you may have witnessed            7% 
         Attending parent-teacher conferences            9 
                          Voting in elections           10 
   Being able to speak and understand English           12 
           Serving in the military if drafted           13 
     Keeping fully informed about news/issues           24 
                  Serving on a jury if called           23 
      Contributing to help the less fortunate           22 
            Protesting unjust public policies           22 
Participating in town hall community decision 
                              making meetings           31 
   Participating in neighborhood associations           38 
 Volunteering some time to community services           40 
                Volunteering for the military           35 
 
                                                        Not 
                                                     important 
 
     Reporting a crime you may have witnessed            2% 
         Attending parent-teacher conferences            2 
                          Voting in elections     ...