The Candidates Sound Off on Government Jobs

McCain promised to clean up defense contracting, which he faulted for cost overruns and recurring problems. Members of Congress, federal officials and defense contractors share in the blame for creating "a broken system," he said.

Clinton (D-N.Y.) targets federal contract jobs for cuts that she claims would save $10 billion to $18 billion a year. "Some contract employees cost twice as much as comparable federal workers. They're often less accountable and less competent," she said in a speech last month.

To attract a new generation to the government, Clinton proposed a U.S. Public Service Academy, an undergraduate college modeled after the military service academies. The academy could help the government find replacements for retirees, she said.

"Many young people are ready, willing and able to answer the call to serve," Clinton said. "But they often graduate from college with so much debt that they can't imagine going into a public-service career."

By providing a free education in exchange for five years of federal service, an academy "will open the doors much more widely for young people who want to serve their country," she said.

Clinton and McCain said they would push efforts to improve the performance of federal programs. McCain, for example, said that if a program is found to be performing poorly, that could be a factor in deciding whether its funded the next year.

Former senator John Edwards, a Democratic candidate, pledges to rebuild the military and root out waste and cronyism in the Pentagon, according to his Web site. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) says he hopes to empower citizens to crack down on government waste by putting information about federal grants, contracts, loans and earmarks online. McCain also said he would use the Internet in a similar manner to hold agencies accountable.

Staff researcher Madonna A. Lebling contributed to this report.