If you take the data provided by the Government Publishing Office and graph the total dollars spent since 1962 on U.S. federal spending, you get something that looks like this:
And while this graph is useful--it tells us that U.S. federal spending has increased semi-exponentially over the past fifty years--it doesn't paint a clear picture of how spending on each function has changed over time. To see that, we need a graph with each function represented as a percentage of total spending, which looks like this:
And while this graph is useful--it tells us that U.S. federal spending has increased semi-exponentially over the past fifty years--it doesn't paint a clear picture of how spending on each function has changed over time. To see that, we need a graph with each function represented as a percentage of total spending, which looks like this:
For the majority of functions, federal spending has remained at a consistent percentage of total spending. However, for the big five--national defense, health, medicare, social security, and income security--spending has fluctuated quite drastically (both positively and negatively) over the past fifty years.
Below each function is highlighted in a separate graph. I've provided a list of sub-functions that make up the spending within the larger function along with the maximum/minimum percentages of total spending for that function.
National Defense (Function 050)
Sub-functions:
- 051: Department of Defense (Military)
- 053: Atomic energy defense activities
- 054: Defense-related activities
High Percentage: 46.7% (1962)
Low Percentage: 15.5%
International Affairs (Function 150)
Sub-functions:
- 151: International development and humanitarian assistance
- 152: International security assistance
- 153: Conduct of foreign affairs
- 154: Foreign information and exchange activities
- 155: International financial programs
High Percentage: 5.0% (1962)
Low Percentage: 0.8%
General Science, Space, and Technology (Function 250)
Sub-functions:
- 251: General science and basic research
- 252: Space flight, research, and supporting activities
High Percentage: 4.8% (1966)
Low Percentage: 0.8%
Energy (Function 270)
Sub-functions:
- 271: Energy supply
- 272: Energy conservation
- 274: Emergency energy preparedness
- 276: Energy information, policy, and regulation
High Percentage: 2.1% (1981)
Low Percentage: 0.0%
Natural Resources and Environment (Function 300)
Sub-functions:
- 301: Water resources
- 302: Conservation and land management
- 303: Recreational resources
- 304: Pollution control and abatement
- 306: Other natural resources
High Percentage: 2.4% (1977)
Low Percentage: 0.9%
Agriculture (Function 350)
Sub-functions:
- 351: Farm income stabilization
- 352: Agricultural research and services
High Percentage: 3.74% (1963)
Low Percentage: 0.5%
Commerce and Housing Credit (Function 370)
Sub-functions:
- 371: Mortgage credit
- 372: Postal service
- 373: Deposit insurance
- 376: Other advancement of commerce
High Percentage: 8.1% (2009)
Low Percentage: -2.6%
Transportation (Function 400)
Sub-functions:
- 401: Ground transportation
- 402: Air transportation
- 403: Water transportation
- 407: Other transportation
High Percentage: 4.6% (1965)
Low Percentage: 2.3%
Community and Regional Development (Function 450)
Sub-functions:
- 451: Community development
- 452: Area and regional development
- 453: Disaster relief and insurance
High Percentage: 2.5% (1979)
Low Percentage: 0.4%
Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services (Function 500)
Sub-functions:
- 501: Elementary, secondary, and vocational education
- 502: Higher education
- 503: Research and general education aids
- 504: Training and employment
- 505: Other labor services
- 506: Social services
High Percentage: 5.8% (1979)
Low Percentage: 1.1%
Health (Function 550)
Sub-functions:
- 551: Health care services
- 552: Health research and training
- 554: Consumer and occupational health and safety
High Percentage: 12.7% (2015)
Low Percentage: 1.1%
Medicare (Function 570)
Sub-functions:
- 571: Medicare
High Percentage: 14.4% (2015)
Low Percentage: 0.0%
Income Security (Function 600)
Sub-functions:
- 601: General retirement and disability insurance (excluding social security)
- 602: Federal employee retirement and disability
- 603: Unemployment compensation
- 604: Housing assistance
- 605: Food and nutrition assistance
- 609: Other income security
High Percentage: 17.6% (2010)
Low Percentage: 6.2%
Social Security (Function 650)
Sub-functions:
- 651: Social security
High Percentage: 23.7% (2014)
Low Percentage: 12.8%
Veterans Benefits and Services (Function 700)
Sub-functions:
- 701: Income security for veterans
- 702: Veterans education, training, and rehabilitation
- 703: Hospital and medical care for veterans
- 704: Veterans housing
- 705: Other veterans benefits and services
High Percentage: 5.0% (1962)
Low Percentage: 2.3%
Administration of Justice (Function 750)
Sub-functions:
- 751: Federal law enforcement activities
- 752: Federal litigative and judicial activities
- 753: Federal correctional activities
- 754: Criminal justice assistance
High Percentage: 1.9% (2004)
Low Percentage: 0.4%
General Government (Function 800)
Sub-functions:
- 801: Legislative functions
- 802: Executive direction and management
- 803: Central fiscal operations
- 804: General property and records management
- 805: Central personnel management
- 806: General purpose fiscal assistance
- 808: Other general government
- 809: Deductions for offsetting receipts
High Percentage: 3.8% (1973)
Low Percentage: 0.6%
Net Interest (Function 900)
Sub-functions:
- 901: Interest on Treasury debt securities
- 902: Interest received by on-budget trust funds
- 903: Interest received by off-budget trust funds
- 908: Other interest
- 909: Other investment income
High Percentage: 15.1% (1996)
Low Percentage: 5.2%
Interactive Graph:
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