Finance related careers in the government

I recently read an interesting interview/post on mergers and inquisitions about a person who worked in a European (eastern European I think) Ministry of Finance.

Before I entered undergrad I was a nerdy obsessed high schooler with dreams of making the big bucks on Wall Street. I've slowly come to realize that perhaps 100+ hour workweeks in a shrinking industry aren't all that fun, but at the same time I actually found out I genuinely enjoy reading and learning about economics and the financial markets. Enough to pass up that easy A world cultures class for one on macroeconomics.

I've become interested in economic or financial related positions within government or quasi-governmental institutions such as the SEC, FDIC, Treasury, the Fed, and others. I know lots of people (aka Hank Paulson) came from Goldman but there are people, like Tim Geithner who spent the majority of their careers within the government itself.

If anyone here who works for or has worked for some of these agencies (or perhaps some kind of related economic analyst work for a defense or intelligence agency) could shed some light on their career paths and their general perspectives of work in government, I would appreciate it.

However, I'd rather this not turn into a huge post about Treasury and the Fed's excess regulation, or failure of regulation, or how the government is bad, etc.

Perspectives from individuals working in foreign government related financial careers outside the USA are welcome, but since I live and go to school in America, I'd prefer views from those who have worked or are working in the US government.

Thanks all.