Public service is a broad term that can bring to mind everything from government agencies and policy changes to the firefighters, police officers, teachers, and nurses who help people every day. It also includes individuals who work for nonprofits, volunteer, or take AmeriCorps positions to improve their communities. Regardless of how you think of it, the fact is that public service matters.

It’s a way for people to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. Whether they’re helping kids learn, saving the lives of disaster survivors, or keeping roads safe and clean, public service professionals see the impact of their work all around them. Unlike private sector employees, who have to wait for year-end financial reports to know if their work made a difference, they can see it in the faces of those they serve.

In addition to that, there tends to be greater job security in the public sector. While private businesses can fold or be bought out by a competitor during recessions, there will always be military personnel to keep fighting the good fight, children who need to be educated, sick people in need of care, and cities and states that depend on dedicated, talented professionals to keep their lights on and their roads maintained.

Yet, the concept of public service isn’t without its challenges. There are tensions that emerge when those who run the government must follow formal procedures but deliver outcomes that may delay or obstruct those procedures; when personal interests or political ambitions conflict with giving priority to the public interest; and when cynicism, 24 hour news, and misinformation on social media erode the confidence that people have in their government to act on their behalf.