zlacker

"Part of" certainly does not mean "controlled by". Powers are generally enumerated or reserved to the states. Plus and minus lots of interpretive scotus precedents.

>>zentig+(OP)
The US government has a lot of dimensionalities to it. HUD, the Post Office, the parks service, and the US military are all parts of the of even the purely federal government without one "controlling" another, and have fairly different polices between them. State and local orgs fit into the same scheme just fine.