Pros
There is a genuine sense of mission and purpose that encourages a strong sense of belonging (but, not entitlement!) at BNL. This has produced a very natural environment for people to work together. I find it quite remarkable, especially since this happens horizontally and vertically across all job types WITHOUT any silly sensitivity training or so on. When people need something, they just ask, and in my experience, they are almost always given or steered toward the help they need, without favors or drama or penalties. People there really do feel empowered and valued, and safe in depending on each other and the institution. Productivity at BNL is quite high, and I have seen many cases where this follows the attitude of cooperation, which- missing at other places grinds projects to dust.
Cons
The federal government sometimes makes frivolous and undependable political dictates about how its money can be used. This forces scientists to spend their time fighting to educate the funders rather than the public.