They don’t necessarily have anything to do with government. I’ve been in one that didn’t have a damned thing to do with any branch of government. I bought, I moved in, lived there, liked it, moved out, rented it, and we’ve had 4 renters who lived there and liked it.
Different strokes for different folks, but it’s got nothing to do with government per se.....altho some governments have meddled - but that’s the gov problem, not the HOA problem.
They ARE a level of government.
That is the whole point. For you to claim they have nothing to do with government is just plains delusional.