I feel it's too late to add an option like that, but I do regret not putting it in. I tried to be as broad as possible, but academia makes sense.

Thanks!

Should also have had retired as an option - I vacillated btw self- and un- employed.

government should feel wrong ;) why is it weird to say you work for the government if they sign your paycheck?

Becuase the university signs my paycheck, not the state. Some of the money to fund me comes from Federal grants, some from federal contracts, some from private contracts, some from private donations and some from state funds. (I work on several projects). So while the institution is subject to state regulation, and can be claimed by the state it is a separate entity. Thats why claiming government is wierd, it is not the only source of my income. Most people in academia have a similar mashup of funding.

I worked for a large state school, but my department was entirely funded by student fees.

Same here. Government feels weighty.

Altho I do catch myself hacking something together with figurative duct-tape and grunting "good enough for government work."

Seconding 'academia' as a non-government item. Non-profit private academic institutions don't deserve the 'Corporation' classification either.

If your paycheck comes from a government organization, then you work for the government. If you were a software engineer for the government would you complain that you can't state that you work for a business?