> they do not participate in governance, and because of that, they are not PART of the federal government. The military does not participate in governance, by

> they do not participate in governance, and because of that, they are not PART of the federal government. The military does not participate in governance, by law. Is the U.S. military not part of the U.S. government? What about intelligence agencies? It's an interesting definition, but I'm not sure that many people will accept it.