>What does this mean? It's a British term for organizations that aren't governmental but which are largely funded by them. As you mention, the Smithsonian and

>What does this mean? It's a British term for organizations that aren't governmental but which are largely funded by them. As you mention, the Smithsonian and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are basically this, although the term isn't used here. Especially in the case of the Smithsonian, many people may not even know that they aren't part of the Federal government, given that they run the famous free museums in Washington DC.