What is Government ?

I keep hearing people complaining that governments are mere

corporations, and therefore have no governmental powers. I write to
correct that misconception.
1. A government, whether a mugger hijacking your car or wallet, or a
republic, has one characteristic: it governs those in its territory, and
sometimes people and affairs outside its territory through consulates,
business, and military force. That means it tells the people under it
what they may or may not do, according to its constitution or dictates
of conscience.
2. A corporation consists of one or more natural or artificial persons
acting as an artificial person under charter by and control of one or
more governments.
3. All governments function both as governments and as one or many
corporations. The Queen of England functions as a corporation. So do
the State of Florida and the municipality of Kalamazoo in the State of
Michigan.
4. You can expect any government that does business with vendors or
that sells notes, bonds, and other securities to have a DUNNS number
with Dunn and Bradstreet. Some appear to have a chartered corporate
presence in some state like Delaware. Investors need the DUNNS
number of the government to look into its solvency or reliability for
paying off debts. You know that a year ago the State of California
started issuing IOUs instead of checks to some of its creditors because
the state ran out of money and could not pay its debts at that time.
5. Black's Law Dictionary, 8th Edition, on page 1032 reads as follows,
and then goes on for many pages listing many types of corporations:
"CORPORATION
corporation,n. An entity (usu. a business) having authority under law to
act as a single person distinct from the shareholders who own it and
having rights to issue stock and exist indefinitely; a group or
succession of persons established in accordance with legal rules into a
legal or juristic person that has legal personality distinct from the
natural persons who make it up, exists indefinitely apart from them,
and has the legal powers that its constitution gives it. Also
termed corporation aggregate; aggregate corporation; body corporate;
corporate body. See COMPANY. [Cases: Corporations 1. C.J.S.
Corporations 2, 4.] incorporate,vb. corporate,adj.

A corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing

only in contemplation of law.... [I]t possesses only those properties
which the charter of its creation confers upon it. Trustees of
Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 17 U.S. (4 Wheat.) 518, 636 (1819)
(Marshall, J.)."
6. You can find much more data here:
http://aixtcp.cpa.state.tx.us/opendocs/open23/0156e03a.html
7. Yet more definitions for you:
"The word 'corporation', in its largest sense, has a more extensive meaning than people
generally are aware of. Any body politic, sole or aggregate, whether its powers be
restricted or transcendent, is in this sense 'a corporation'. Opinion No. WW-821 [more
below]
Any body politic (sole or aggregate) whether its power be restricted or transcendent, is in
this sense "a corporation." 2 U.S. (2 Dall.) 419 (1793)
Black's 2nd page 803
"The state is the people organized into a political body. Lalor, Pol. Enc. s. v."
Black's 2nd page 141
BODY. A person. Used of a natural body, or of an artificial one created by law, as a
corporation.
Also the main part of any instrument; in deeds it is spoken of as distinguished from the
recitals and other introductory parts and signatures; in affidavits, from the title and
jurat. The main part of the human body; the trunk. Sanchez v. People, 22 N. Y. 149;
State v. Edmundson, 64 Mo. 402; Walker v. State, 34 Ma. 167, 16 South. 80, 43 Am.
St, Rep. 186.
BODY CORPORATE. A corporation.
BODY POLITIC. A term applied to a corporation, which is usually designated as a "body
corporate and politic." The term is particularly appropriate to a public corporation
invested with powers and duties of government. It is often used, in a rather loose way, to
designate the state or nation or sovereign power, or the government of a county or
municipality, without distinctly connoting any express and individual corporate
character. Munn v. Illinois, 94 U. S. 124, 24 L. Ed. 77; Coyle v. Mclntire, 7 Houst.
(Del.) 44, 30 Atl. 728, 40 Am. St. Rep. 109; Warner v. Beers, 23 Wend. (N. Y.) 122;
People v. Morris, 13 Wend. (N.Y.) 334.
Black's 2nd page 888
PEOPLE. A state; as the people of the state of New York. A nation in its collective and
political capacity. Nesbitt v. Lushington, 4 Term R, 783; U. S. v. Quincy, 6 Pet. 467, 8
L. Ed. 458; U. S. v. Trumbull (D. C.) 48 Fed. 99. In a more restricted sense, and as
generally used in constitutional law, the ENTIRE BODY of those citizens of a state or
nation who are invested with political power for political purposes, that is, the qualified
voters or electors. See Koehler v. Hill, 60 Iowa, 543, 15 N. W. 609; Dred Scott v.

Sandford, 19 How. 404, 15 II Ed. 691; Boyd v. Nebraska, 143 U. S. 135, 12 Sup. Ct.
375, 36 L. Ed. 103; Rogers v. Jacob, 88 Ky. 502, 11 S. W. 513; People y. Counts, 89
Cal. 15, 26 Pac. 612; Blair v. Ridgely, 41 Mo. 63, 97 Am. Dec. 248; Beverly v. Sabin, 20
111. 357; In re Incurring of State Debts, 19 R. I. 610, 37 Atl. 14.
The word "people" may have various significations according to the connection in which
it is used. When we speak of the rights of the people, or of the government of the people
by law, or of the people as a non-political aggregate, we mean all the inhabitants of the
state or nation, without distinction as to sex, age, or otherwise.
But when reference is made to the people as the repository of sovereignty, or as the
source of governmental power, or to popular government, we are in fact speaking of that
selected and limited class of citizens to whom the constitution accords the elective
franchise and the right of participation in the offices of government.
Black, Const Law (3d Ed.) p. 30.

In Fletcher's Cyclopedia of Corporations perm ed Vol 1, p 232, it is stated that, "The

word 'corporation' in its most extensive significance applies to a nation or state and thus
used, the United States and the several states or commonwealths may be termed
'corporations'."
"The word "corporations," in its largest sense, has a more extensive meaning than people
generally are aware of. Any body politic (sole or aggregate) whether its power be
restricted or transcendent, is in this sense "a corporation." The King, accordingly, in
England is called a corporation . . .. So also, by a very respectable author . . . is the
Parliament itself. In this extensive sense, not only each State singly, but even the United
States may without impropriety be termed "corporations."" - 2 U.S. (2 Dall.) 419 (1793)
It is a PUBLIC corporation [open to all, "rights and obligations"] and a PRIVATE
corporation [Public-service corporation. Contracts..open to all willing to sign on the
dotted line.] It functions as both with the "public" aspect of it all but gone now."Public
corporations or quasi corporations include the United States . . . ." 14 CJ 74
A LAW DICTIONARY
by John Bouvier
ADAPTED TO THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
AND OF THE SEVERAL STATES OF THE AMERICAN UNION
CORPORATION
CORPORATION. An aggregate corporation is an ideal body, created by law, composed
of individuals united under a common name, the members of which succeed each other,
so that the BODY continues the same, notwithstanding the changes of the individuals
who compose it, and which for certain purposes is considered as a natural person.
Browne's Civ. Law, 99; Civ. Code of Lo. art. 418; 2 Kent's Com. 215. Mr. Kyd,

(Corpor. vol. 1, p. 13,) defines a corporation as follows: " A corporation, or body politic,
or body incorporate, is a collection of many; individuals united in one body, under a
special denomination, having perpetual succession under an artificial form, and vested
by the policy of the law, with a capacity of acting in several respects as an individual,
particularly of taking and granting property, contracting obligations, and of suing and
being sued; of enjoying privileges and immunities in common, and of exercising a variety
of political rights, more or less extensive, according to the design of its institution, or the
powers conferred upon it, either at the time of its creation, or at any subsequent period
of its existed
--------------------"Nations, or States, are denominated by PUBLICISTS BODIES POLITIC; and are said to
have their affairs and interests, and to deliberate and resolve in common. They thus
become as moral persons, having an understanding and will peculiar to themselves, and
are susceptible of obligations and laws. In this extensive sense, the United States may be
termed a corporation; they are a collective invisible body, which can act and be seen only
in the acts of those who administer the affairs of the government . . .. It may be so said
of each State singly. So the king of England is a corporation; and so is parliament." JOSEPH K. ANGELL & SAMUAL AMES, TREATISE ON THE LAW OF PRIVATE
CORPORATIONS AGGREGATE 10-11 (Boston, Little, Brown & Co., 5th ed. 1855)
(internal citations omitted).