I knew a guy who worked in D.C. and he would say there are three Washingtons, the permanent one being split between a lot of dedicated people and another batch who don't give a crap, they just want their paycheck.
I would say that is true of most State governments- there's a group of employees who get paid less than they would in a corporate job and they're happy that governments don't like to pay overtime, so they work a 40 hour week and have an actual work-life balance. There's also a group of people who really have a commitment to public service, so it's a mixed bag.
There's not as many of those mediocre employees who don't give a crap in the federal government because it's difficult to get a Civil Service job if you're not qualified. The federal government also gives preference to those who served in the military, so you get some people who have a prior commitment to public service.
Everyone complains about the DMV or the potholes in their yard or who long it takes to get a trial date to fight a traffic ticket. But when I hear terms like "pencil pusher" that's always a clue that the person has never spent much time outside the US.
There's a lot of NGOs who need people to do volunteer work in other countries. It's a great experience and I'd encourage everyone to do it at least once in their life. When you get your assignment, you'll be given a list of immunizations that you'll need to get because Americans tend to let their boosters lapse for things like tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, et al. Most Americans don't get immunizations for things like yellow fever or hepatitis A unless they've been in the military. The yellow fever shot made me feel crappy for a few days afterward.
They'll also recommend you get prescriptions to bring with you for things like dysentery and malaria.... because the pencil pushers in those countries don't provide clean drinking water or do little things like spray for mosquitoes. Sadly, there's not a preventative for dengue fever or zika or the other viral illnesses, so you'll need to bring a mosquito net to put over your bed at night.
Iodine also helps in case you need to treat your drinking water. Be careful not to accidentally drink the water in the shower because it's usually not treated water unless the NGO provides clean water for the workers to shower... if you're lucky enough to get a shower at all, that is.
Oh- bring some cash and make copies of your passport to carry with you because the pencil pushers in those countries require bribes (even the police!) and if you don't pay them, they do mean things like confiscate your passport.
