Michael Lewis’s Who Is Government? is a collection of essays and profiles that aims to demystify the U.S. federal government by spotlighting the people who work within it and the essential, often invisible, roles they play in society. The book, edited by Lewis and featuring contributions from acclaimed writers such as Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell, offers a vivid, human-centered look at the machinery of government and the civil servants who keep it running267.

The Core Premise

Lewis’s central argument is that government is not an abstract, faceless bureaucracy, but a vast, complex system made up of individuals who perform critical functions that the private sector either cannot or will not take on. These include tasks like maintaining the safety of coal mines, digitizing national archives, managing veterans’ cemeteries, regulating corporate monopolies, combating cybercrime, and calculating the Consumer Price Index67. Through these stories, Lewis and his contributors challenge the stereotype of the “irrelevant bureaucrat” and instead reveal a workforce marked by expertise, dedication, and a reluctance to seek the spotlight67.

Why Government Matters

Lewis contends that the government is society’s shared resource for addressing its most complex and intractable problems-problems that the private sector has little incentive to solve. For example, mining companies may not invest adequately in worker safety if it cuts into profits, and pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to develop treatments for rare diseases that offer little financial return7. Only the government, Lewis argues, has the mandate and capacity to tackle these issues, making it an indispensable institution for the public good57.

Profiles in Service

The book’s essays highlight a range of public servants, from a former coal miner who works to prevent mine collapses, to an IRS agent uncovering financial crimes, to the manager who turned the National Cemetery Administration into one of the best-run organizations in the country67. These stories are not just about individual heroism, but about the quiet, persistent work that underpins the functioning of society. The contributors show how these civil servants are motivated by a sense of duty and public service, often working without recognition or reward67.

A Counter-Narrative

Lewis’s work is partly a response to the growing distrust and disparagement of government, especially in the wake of political rhetoric that paints federal agencies as bloated or corrupt. By focusing on real people and their achievements, Lewis offers a badly needed antidote to the “bureaucrat-bashing” that has become common in American political discourse7. The book’s tone is more optimistic than some of Lewis’s earlier work, such as The Fifth Risk, which warned of the dangers of governmental incompetence and neglect7.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Who Is Government? argues that the federal government is one of humanity’s most impressive achievements, managing a bundle of complex problems that no other institution is equipped to handle56. The book urges readers to recognize and appreciate the essential work of public servants, whose efforts make modern life possible-even if those efforts often go unseen and uncelebrated67.