I appreciate that about the US system, Nerd - but the impaqct it has on how people use the term "the government" hadn't really clicked. And I'm sure the reverse applies for the way the term is used in countries where the system is more like in tye UK.

This means the term conveys a different meaning in different political systems. I imagine "Down with the Government" might sound quite extreme to Americans. In the UK at most times being against the Government is a majority position, with nothing extreme about it.