Referring to the Government as a Corporation

Sovereign citizens frequently refer to the government as a corporation to downplay its legitimacy and authority. They feel that the government is a corporation, not a legitimate governing body. Here’s why this ideology is central to their beliefs:

• Sovereign citizen belief:
  
  • Sovereign citizens believe the government is not a true governing body but rather a corporation operating for its own benefit.
  • They argue this corporation illegitimately restricts their freedoms and imposes taxes as a kind of fee for existing.
• Misunderstanding of Government Structure: Sovereign citizens often lack a clear understanding of how governments function. They confuse government entities with corporations [1, 2].
• Fabricated Debt and Contracts: The “government as a corporation” idea allows them to claim all laws and regulations are simply contracts they can choose not to participate in. This belief fuels their arguments against debt and taxes [2, 3].
• Challenge to Legitimacy: By portraying the government as a corporation, sovereign citizens attempt to delegitimize its authority and justify non-compliance with laws [2].
• Pseudo-Legal Arguments: They might use this concept to create nonsensical legal arguments, citing corporate law in attempts to challenge government actions or avoid legal consequences [3].

• Goals of using this term:
  
  • Challenge legitimacy: By calling it a corporation, they aim to delegitimize the government’s authority and paint it as a profit-driven entity with no right to impose laws or collect taxes.
  • Avoid obligations: They might believe this somehow weakens the government’s case in legal matters or allows them to avoid paying taxes.
• Why it’s wrong:
  
  • Structure and purpose: The government’s purpose is to serve the public good, not generate profits like a corporation.
  • Taxation has a legal basis: Taxes are legal and used to pay for necessary government services.
• In essence:
  
  • Referring to the government as a corporation is a sovereign citizen tactic to undermine its authority.
  • The Constitution established the U.S. government as a legal entity, not as a company.

Citations:

• [1] Anti-Defamation League: The Sovereign Citizen Movement [https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/sovereign-citizen-movement-united-states]
• [2] Southern Poverty Law Center: Sovereign Citizens https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/moorish-sovereign-citizens]
• [3] National Conference of State Legislatures: Model Sovereign Citizen Protection Act www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7513757/]