Where Teacher Walkouts Fit In The History Of Government Jobs

Tens of thousands of school teachers across Arizona and Colorado continue statewide walkouts Friday. For years, employees across the public sector — including teachers — have seen a decline in benefits and pay, raising questions about the impact on the larger middle class.

Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with historians Ed Ayers (@edward_l_ayers) and Nathan Connolly (@ndbconnolly) about "the government job" from early America to the New Deal to today.

Ayers and Connolly are co-hosts of the podcast "BackStory," which is produced at Virginia Humanities.