What people in State Houses and City Halls wish they’d known when they started
When many people think of elected officials, they envision polished politicos whisking through stately corridors. They may picture noisy press briefings, lavish state dinners, or fiery primetime debates. In the American imagination, elected officials are masters of political intrigue who broker deals over martinis and expensive steak dinners.
In reality, public service looks a whole lot less like The West Wing and more like Parks & Recreation.
Federal officials represent a tiny fraction of those we elect to govern. Just 0.1% of people elected in the United States work at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue; the other 99.9% serve in local or state government. For the hundreds of thousands of officials who are sworn in each year, the day-to-day realities of public service can be shocking, overwhelming, and downright tedious.