RSSU.S. Government Spending 1968 - 2007
The federal budget challenges faced by the citizens of the United States of America start and end with spending. During its fiscal year that ended September 30, 2007, the federal government spent a total of $2.730 trillion. As the chart indicates, the federal government spends more money every year than it did the previous year. This should not surprise anybody. What may be surprising to many, however, is how the money is spent, and more importantly, how it will be spent in the future.
Spending did not exceed $100 billion per year until 1962. It reached $1 trillion in 1987. Fifteen years later, the number reached $2 trillion. It is estimated that spending will surpass $3 trillion in 2009.
37 Responses to “U.S. Government Spending 1968 - 2007”
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November 12th, 2008 at 12:53 am
“Why don’t we first get rid of all the programs that should not be in the FEDERAL budget at all. It’s not hard to figure out. Take a copy of the budget and a red pen. Then READ the constitution and if you don’t see it specifically listed CROSS IT OUT.
This will no doubt gore a lot of sacred Oxen, but I got news for your friends: If you think we need “help the inner cities” or “provide more money for education” or “make healthcare more affordable” or “help out working class families” you are a BIG part of the problem.”
1. Yes I do think we need to do that.
2. The problem isn’t nearly as big as this exageration.
3. Read the “general welfare” clause in the constitution and get back to me on whether you think that helping children get medical care so they don’t die is unconstitutional
November 12th, 2008 at 12:51 am
The problem with that chart is that it doesn’t adjust to wealth and inflation.
Government spending as a % of GDP would be a more accurate measure to judge growth of government by, and it’s stayed flat since 1955:
http://www.truthandpolitics.org/outlays-per-gdp-graph.php
[Editor - It's true that spending as a percentage of GDP has been roughly flat over that period. And we show that in this chart. The problem is that income has frequently been less than spending. Second, the project growth in entitlements will overwhelm government spending in the near future. See here and here. You will find all our GDP normalized charts in GDP Charts]
November 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I am exhausted of lobbyists choosing for us our candidates. Fake mavericks and jokers for change. How can we get back to having people running for office that have less sponsors than NASCAR. What can I do to make a change? Does writing help? I am not the most articulate person, but I am not unaware of the problems in our political system. How can I make a change and be a responsible citizen of this great country before it falls to the wayside and becomes a nation that was great.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Of course we need to cut social security, medicare and medicaid to granma & granpa but the trick is - We can’t tell them.
The solution : Inflation, or should I say slowly but constantly above historically inflation rate. It’s possibly the only way out now. As we print money, the taxes we collect will be more but the same dollar amount is pay out to the entitlement.
It’s sad but some where we need to start unrolling…
October 15th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
It’s time, perhaps to stop ranting about government waste. EVERYONE is taking some benefit out of the US Government. And of course, that is as it should be. Such that, one man’s “hand-out” is another man’s “helping hand”. The US Government is indeed here to serve. And we have plenty of resources. As Mr. Perot has said, we are a great nation.
But it’s also time to admit, that we can’t do it all. It is absurd to expect that we could. And it is equally absurd to continue to act as if we can. We need a national reordering (or rather ordering) of our priorities.
Simply put, here’s what we got. Here’s what we can get.
I’m of the opinion that we can’t fund the stabliziation of the world banking system, policing the renegade “terrorists” in the middle east and other backwaters, educate our children to top world standards, take care of grandma in her old age, grow the ecomomy, find and invent new energy products, clean our environment, and pay off the debt. Add to that the myriad of other activities that are good, necessary, and justifiable as US government activities.
We can’t do it all. At election time, we have to be prepared to say - yeah, we’re in favor of all good things including the chicken in every pot. BUT, some things are going to have to go. Here are the top ten items. Here are the BOTTOM 10. And by definition, we’ll keep the former and lose the latter. That, my friends would be a productive talk in these debates. Not worrying about - who was consorting with who. Or who is less than honest.
I know what we got, tell me what we gonna git. And not get. And in what order. And when. That will flush out the honesty in a second. Ask honest questions. Demand straight forward and honest answers.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Is it the American Perestroika ?? or what is the difference between GWBush and Gorbachev??
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 am
I’m really tired of all the comments about how all of our problems are due to spending on the military.
We can debate until the end of time whether a particular military action was right or wrong. But at least the military is one of the FEW catagories of spending actually in the constitution as a FEDERAL responsibility.
Why don’t we first get rid of all the programs that should not be in the FEDERAL budget at all. It’s not hard to figure out. Take a copy of the budget and a red pen. Then READ the constitution and if you don’t see it specifically listed CROSS IT OUT.
This will no doubt gore a lot of sacred Oxen, but I got news for your friends: If you think we need “help the inner cities” or “provide more money for education” or “make healthcare more affordable” or “help out working class families” you are a BIG part of the problem.
I’m all for bring home our troops. Lets get rid or a trillion dollars in buracracy FIRST.