Who Is Government?
The Economist recently wrote that the U.S. government shutdown is not only ridiculous; it has become Washington’s new reality. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2024 findings, only about two in ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right. This declining trust and shrinking resources have also become a major barrier for young people considering careers in public service.
Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis is a timely and insightful book that sheds light on the U.S. government as a vast, complex system powered by people, largely unrecognized and uncelebrated, whose work profoundly shapes everyday life. Lewis tells the stories of dedicated employees across agencies such as the Department of Labor, the National Cemetery Administration, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Archives, the Department of Justice, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Public service emerges as a higher calling for everyone featured in the book. Each story is inspiring and deeply human. Lewis reminds readers of the indispensable roles these employees play. The book also highlights two vital numbers that shape the U.S. government’s decisions: the census, which determines representation in the House of Representatives, and the consumer price index (CPI), the key measure of inflation. Lewis uses these examples to illustrate an important point: if we abandon the pursuit of statistical truth, we risk eroding democracy itself. He reminds readers that statistics are never neutral; they depend on how they are created and interpreted. As he writes, we must always ask whether the numbers truly tell the story they appear to tell.
In Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service, Lewis restores dignity to the often unseen individuals who keep the machinery of democracy running. Lewis ultimately invites readers to reflect on what happens when the quiet competence of public service is no longer valued, and what that reveals about the state of governance today.
