I have a few friends who either work for the NSA or have worked for the NSA, and there's a stigma that follows them around. They get shamed for it (under the guise of humor), and people are clearly uneasy talking about things like drug use around said friends.
At least in my community, there's a strong negative pressure and stigma associated with working for certain parts of the government. And I guarantee that this impacts the NSA's ability to recruit from our talented pool of developers.
And what if the same stigma tactics are used against you in the workplace because you are for gay marriage, or are pro-abortion, or agree with gun control? Suddenly it does not sound so good any more.
At least in my community, there's a strong negative pressure and stigma associated with working for certain parts of the government. And I guarantee that this impacts the NSA's ability to recruit from our talented pool of developers.