Select one agency or department profiled in Who Is Government? and analyze how its invisibility affects both its operations and public perception. What are the costs and benefits of this invisibility for democracy?

Compare and contrast the motivations of career civil servants versus political appointees as presented in the book. How do these different motivations affect government function?

How does the collaborative structure of Who Is Government?—featuring essays by multiple writers—reinforce or complicate the book’s central arguments about government?

Compare and contrast the motivations of two different individuals profiled in the book. How do their personal histories and beliefs shape their approach to public service, and what does this suggest about recruiting and retaining talent in government?

How might the findings and arguments in Who Is Government? influence citizens’ engagement with government institutions?

To what extent does the book’s portrayal of federal agencies reflect a view of government as a technical rather than political enterprise? Evaluate the strengths and limitations of this perspective.

How does Who Is Government? contribute to contemporary debates about the “deep state” and administrative power? Does the book offer a defense of bureaucracy, and if so, on what grounds?

Analyze the emotional response Lewis describes readers having to these stories—both of “hope” and “dread.” What specific images of hope and dread does the book evoke, and how might these emotions influence civic engagement?