[General] a government office

[luxury20041985]

What is really a government office?

Is a police station where I can get a replacement of my ID card after it expires a government office?

Is a government agency where I can apply for a passport a government office?

 

[emsr2d2]

1. What is [STRIKE]really[/STRIKE] a government office?

2. Is a police station where I can get a replacement of my ID card after it expires a government office?

3. Is a government agency where I can apply for a passport a government office?

1. There is no single definition of a "government office". It could be taken to mean any office in which all the employees are employed by the government, but that will lead to confusion.
2. In my opinion, no. It's a police station.
3. I would say that the Passport Office is a government office.

 

[Tarheel]

Since the police work for the government you could say a police station is a government office. But I don't normally think of it that way.

 

[emsr2d2]

A government office might better describe an office where civilian government employees work (not police or military employees).

 

[emsr2d2]

They don't in the UK.

They don't work for the government as such, but about two-thirds of their funding comes from central government.

https://fullfact.org/crime/police-funding-england-and-wales/

 

[SoothingDave]

They work for the state. It seems that the British have a very narrow definition of "government" compared to Americans.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

The definition of government office depends on how (and how much) the central and local government is involved in the social/business lives of its citizens. I live in China, and I've learned to assume that any large, well-kept building with no apparent function is likely a government office. I have no idea what goes on in there- don't want to know- and I suspect many of the people who report to work there don't either. ;-)

China has far more government offices than any other country I've ever visited, in part because the Communist Party is the government, so an office where party business is conducted would be considered a government office. In western countries, political parties are not part of the government.

I like emsr2d2's definition in post #4.

 

[SoothingDave]

They do not.

For whom do they work? Who controls them? Who pays for them?

This isn't the first time I have encountered this from a British person and I am genuinely curious how you conceive these agencies to exist.

 

[Tarheel]

If the police in the UK don't work for the government then who do they work for?