Fiscal Data Explains Federal Spending (2024)

Key Takeaways

The federal government spends money on a variety of goods, programs, and services to support the American public and pay interest incurred from borrowing. In fiscal year (FY) 0, the government spent $, which was than it collected (revenue), resulting in a .

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the ability to create a federal budget – in other words, to determine how much money the government can spend over the course of the upcoming fiscal year. Congress’s budget is then approved by the President. Every year, Congress decides the amount and the type of discretionary spending, as well as provides resources for mandatory spending.

Money for federal spending primarily comes from government tax collection and borrowing. In FY 0 government spending equated to roughly $0 out of every $10 of the goods produced and services provided in the United States.

Federal Spending Overview

The federal government spends money on a variety of goods, programs, and services that support the economy and people of the United States. The federal government also spends money on the interest it has incurred on outstanding federal debt. Consequently, as the debt grows, the spending on interest expense also generally grows.

If the government spends more than it collects in revenue, then there is a budget deficit. If the government spends less than it collects in revenue, there is a budget surplus. In fiscal year (FY) , the government spent $, which was than it collected (revenue), resulting in a . Visit the national deficit explainer to see how the deficit and revenue compare to federal spending.

Federal government spending pays for everything from Social Security and Medicare to military equipment, highway maintenance, building construction, research, and education. This spending can be broken down into two primary categories: mandatory and discretionary. These purchases can also be classified by object class and budget functions.

Throughout this page, we use outlays to represent spending. This is money that has actually been paid out and not just promised to be paid. When issuing a contract or grant, the U.S. government enters a binding agreement called an obligation. This means the government promises to spend the money, either immediately or in the future. As an example, an obligation occurs when a federal agency signs a contract, awards a grant, purchases a service, or takes other actions that require it to make a payment. Obligations do not always result in payments being made, which is why we show actual outlays that reflect actual spending occurring.

To see details on federal obligations, including a breakdown by budget function and object class, visit USAspending.gov.

The U.S. Treasury uses the terms “government spending,” “federal spending,” “national spending,” and “federal government spending” interchangeably to describe spending by the federal government.

According to the Constitution’s Preamble, the purpose of the federal government is “…to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” These goals are achieved through government spending.

Spending Categories

The federal budget is divided into approximately 20 categories, known as budget functions. These categories organize federal spending into topics based on their purpose (e.g., National Defense, Transportation, and Health).

What does the government buy?

The government buys a variety of products and services used to serve the public - everything from military aircraft, construction and highway maintenance equipment, buildings, and livestock, to research, education, and training. The chart below shows the top 10 categories and agencies for federal spending in FY .

U.S. Government Spending, FY

Top 10 Spending by Category and Agency

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Visit the Monthly Treasury Statement (MTS) dataset to explore and download this data.

Last Updated:

December 6, 2022

For more details on U.S. government spending by category and agency, visit USAspending.gov’s Spending Explorer and Agency Profile pages.

What does the future of Social Security and Medicare look like?

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The Difference Between Mandatory, Discretionary, and Supplemental Spending

Who controls federal government spending?

Government spending is broken down into two primary categories: mandatory and discretionary. Mandatory spending represents nearly two-thirds of annual federal spending. This type of spending does not require an annual vote by Congress. The second major category is discretionary spending. The difference between mandatory and discretionary spending relates to whether spending is dictated by prior law or voted on in the annual appropriations process. Another type of appropriation spending is called Supplemental Appropriations, in which spending laws are passed to address needs that have arisen after the fiscal year has begun.

Mandatory Spending

Mandatory spending, also known as direct spending, is mandated by existing laws. This type of spending includes funding for entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security and other payments to people, businesses, and state and local governments. For example, the Social Security Act requires the government to provide payments to beneficiaries based on the amount of money they’ve earned and other factors. Last amended in 2019, the Social Security Act will determine the level of federal spending into the future until it is amended again. Due to authorization laws, the funding for these programs must be allocated for spending each year, hence the term mandatory.

Fiscal Data Explains Federal Spending (1)

Discretionary Spending

Discretionary spending is money formally approved by Congress and the President during the appropriations process each year. Generally, Congress allocates over half of the discretionary budget towards national defense and the rest to fund the administration of other agencies and programs. These programs range from transportation, education, housing, and social service programs, as well as science and environmental organizations.

Fiscal Data Explains Federal Spending (2)

Supplemental Spending

Supplemental appropriations, also known as supplemental spending, are appropriations enacted after the regular annual appropriations when the need for funds is too urgent to wait for the next regular appropriations. In 2020, Congress passed four supplemental appropriations to aid the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. You can explore the spending related to these supplemental appropriation laws in USAspending.gov’s COVID-19 Spending Profile page.

Fiscal Data Explains Federal Spending (3)

What is the process for determining discretionary spending?

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COMING SOON!

Spending Trends Over Time

Coming Soon: A section exploring changes in spending trends over time, and how GDP factors into those trends.

Data Sources & Methodologies

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Fiscal Data Explains Federal Spending (2024)

FAQs

How does fiscal policy relate to the federal budget? ›

Fiscal policy refers to the use of the government budget to affect the economy. This includes government spending and levied taxes. The policy is said to be expansionary when the government spends more on budget items such as infrastructure or when taxes are lowered.

What is fiscal data? ›

fiscal data means the transaction data that the Authority requires for calculating and imposing a tax; Sample 1.

What is the fiscal spending in the US? ›

How much has the U.S. government spent this year? The U.S. government has spent $1.93 trillion in fiscal year 2023 to ensure the well-being of the people of the United States. Learn more about spending categories, types of spending, and spending trends over time.

What is the relationship between federal budget and fiscal year? ›

Every year, Congress begins work on a federal budget for the next fiscal year. The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 of one calendar year through September 30 of the next. The work actually begins in the executive branch the year before the budget is to go into effect.

How does fiscal policy affect government spending? ›

As a result, government tax revenues decrease, while public expenditure increases. This automatic increase in government spending, accompanied by lower taxation, helps curb the drastic decrease in aggregate demand. During a recession, automatic stabilisers help reduce the effects of a fall in economic growth.

How does fiscal policy influence government spending? ›

Fiscal policy is the deliberate adjustment of government spending, borrowing or taxation to help achieve desirable economic objectives. It works by changing the level or composition of aggregate demand (AD). There are two types of fiscal policy, discretionary and automatic.

What is the purpose of a fiscal report? ›

A fiscal report is written to document a company's honest financial status at any given time. There are two purposes of the report: one is to document the financial situation for the company's internal planning, and the other purpose is to attract investors.

What does fiscal mean in government? ›

Fiscal policy is the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy. Governments typically use fiscal policy to promote strong and sustainable growth and reduce poverty.

What are the three major fiscal functions? ›

Fiscal policy aims at using its three major instruments taxes, spending, and borrowing-as balancing factors in the devel opment of the economy.

Is government spending fiscal stimulus? ›

Fiscal stimulus refers to government spending or tax cuts that are designed to boost economic activity and stimulate demand in the economy. The goal of fiscal stimulus is to increase employment, wages, and consumption, which can help to reduce the negative effects of a recession or sluggish economic growth.

What percentage of GDP is federal spending? ›

The federal government spent $6.27 trillion in FY 2022. This means federal spending was equal to 25% of the total gross domestic product (GDP), or economic activity, of the United States that year.

What 3 things does the US government spend most of its money on? ›

Federal government spending pays for everything from Social Security and Medicare to military equipment, highway maintenance, education, and more. In 2022, the federal government spent the most on Social Security.

Why does federal government use fiscal year? ›

They are important for accounting purposes because they are used in federal tax filings and budget documents and for reporting income and expenses.

How does fiscal policy relates to the federal budget quizlet? ›

Fiscal policy is the use of government taxing and spending to stabilize the economy. The federal budget is the plan of income and expenditures by fiscal policy decisions. These two are connected because the federal budget expresses the ongoing fiscal policy of the government.

Who controls government spending? ›

The constitutional provision making Congress the ultimate authority on government spending passed with far less debate. The framers were unanimous that Congress, as the representatives of the people, should be in control of public funds—not the President or executive branch agencies.

What are the reasons for government spending? ›

The purpose of government spending is to encourage economic growth, reduce income inequality, and reduce poverty levels.

How does fiscal policy increase consumer spending? ›

If the government raises the income tax rate, people pay a higher portion of their income in taxes—which means they have less income to buy goods and services. If the government cuts the income tax, or takes a smaller portion of peoples' income, people have more money to spend on goods and services.

What is increased government spending? ›

Expansionary fiscal policy is an increase in government spending or a decrease in taxation, while contractionary fiscal policy is a decrease in government spending or an increase in taxes. Expansionary fiscal policy can be used by governments to stimulate the economy during a recession.

What are the two types of government spending? ›

There are two types of spending in the federal budget process: discretionary and mandatory.

What are the four 4 major functions of fiscal policy? ›

Ans: There are four major fiscal functions of government; Allocation, Distribution, Economic Growth and Stabilization.

Who audits federal spending? ›

The Department of the Treasury, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), prepares the Financial Report, which includes the financial statements for the U.S. Government. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is required to audit these statements.

What are fiscal records? ›

Fiscal Records. Records that have fiscal value relate to an agency's financial transactions. these may be budgets, payrolls, vouchers, and accounting records.

What is fiscal federalism for dummies? ›

Fiscal federalism refers to how federal, state, and local governments share funding and administrative responsibilities within our federal system. The funding for these programs comes from taxes and fees.

What is an example of fiscal? ›

Fine tuning – fiscal policy

For example, if growth is below the trend rate of growth, the government can cut tax to boost spending and economic growth. If growth is too fast and inflationary, the government can increase income tax to slow down consumer spending and reduce economic growth.

What is the difference between economic and fiscal? ›

For example, economic impact might tell you how many jobs are created, but fiscal impacts consider how much those jobs will result in taxable spending, new residential property taxes, and also weighs out additional government costs such as the added expense of fire trucks having to dispatch more frequently to ...

What are 2 of the main fiscal policies that the government uses to control the economy? ›

The two main tools of fiscal policy are taxes and spending. Taxes influence the economy by determining how much money the government has to spend in certain areas and how much money individuals should spend. For example, if the government is trying to spur consumer spending, it can decrease taxes.

What are the types of fiscal measures? ›

There are three types of fiscal policy.They are neutral policy, expansionary policy,and contractionary policy.

What are 2 things that fiscal policy requires? ›

Fiscal Policy is just 2 things: taxing and spending. The government can increase or decrease taxes, or increase or decrease spending. Those changes impact the economy as a whole. Fiscal Policy is different from monetary policy; which is done by the Federal Reserve central bank.

Is government spending part of fiscal or monetary policy? ›

These economic operations are divided into two main categories: Fiscal Policy: taxation, spending, and budgeting. Monetary Policy: money supply and interest rates.

Is government spending causing inflation? ›

As a result, the demand for money will rise to where it was before the government increased spending, thereby offsetting any inflation that occurred initially. So, government spending doesn't affect the demand for money either, at least not in the long run.

What is an example of fiscal stimulus? ›

Examples of fiscal stimulus involve increasing public-sector employment, investing in new infrastructure, and providing government subsidies to industries and individuals.

What is the largest source of income for federal spending? ›

Individual income tax has remained the top source of income for the U.S. government since 2015.

What makes up the largest percentage of the federal budget? ›

Social Security takes up the largest portion of the mandatory spending dollars. In fact, Social Security demands $1.046 trillion of the total $2.739-trillion mandatory spending budget. It also includes programs like unemployment benefits and welfare.

Who receives the largest percentage of annual federal spending? ›

In 2022, major entitlement programs—Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, and other health care programs—consumed 49 percent of all federal spending. From 2023 on, this spending will be larger than the portion of spending for other priorities (such as national defense) combined.

What are the four largest items of federal government spending? ›

However, the level of state spending and taxes, as a share of GDP, has risen from about 12–13% to about 20% of GDP over the last four decades. The four main areas of federal spending are national defense, Social Security, healthcare, and interest payments, which together account for about 70% of all federal spending.

What is the largest component of spending in the United States? ›

1. Personal Consumption Expenditures. Consumer spending contributes almost 70% of the total United States production.

Do 40 states get more in federal payments than taxes paid? ›

A recent analysis by the Rockefeller Institute found that forty states are "getters" while ten are "givers". Forty states received more funds from the federal government than the tax revenues they send, resulting in a positive balance of payments. In the remaining ten states, tax burdens were not offset.

What are two reasons why the federal government should use fiscal policy? ›

Fiscal policy involves two main tools: taxes and government spending. To spur the economy and prevent a recession, a government will reduce taxes in order to increase consumer spending. The fewer taxes paid, the more disposable income citizens have, and that income can be used to spend on the economy.

What role does the federal government play in fiscal policy? ›

In the legislative branch, the U.S. Congress passes laws and appropriates spending for any fiscal policy measures. The judicial branch of the government can impact fiscal policy by legitimizing, amending, or declaring unconstitutional certain measures taken by the executive or legislative branches.

What is fiscal federalism and why is it important? ›

Fiscal federalism can be defined as the principles that guide the assignment of tax powers and expenditure responsibilities to the various tiers of government in a federation to promote healthy intergovernmental relations and synergy (Ewetan, 2011. (2011).

How does fiscal policy relate to the federal budget quizlet? ›

Fiscal policy is the use of government taxing and spending to stabilize the economy. The federal budget is the plan of income and expenditures by fiscal policy decisions. These two are connected because the federal budget expresses the ongoing fiscal policy of the government.

Who controls fiscal policy and the federal budget? ›

Fiscal policy refers to the tax and spending policies of the federal government. Fiscal policy decisions are determined by the Congress and the Administration; the Fed plays no role in determining fiscal policy.

What does fiscal policy relate to? ›

Fiscal policy refers to government action to change the total amount or the composition of these revenues and expenditures, in order to manage the growth of demand in the economy.

How does the federal government's fiscal policy affect the US economy quizlet? ›

Fiscal policy influences saving, investment, and growth in the long run. In the short run, fiscal policy primarily affects the aggregate demand. A decrease in government spending and/or an increase in taxes designed to decrease aggregate demand in the economy. The purpose is to control inflation.

What are the 3 components of fiscal policy? ›

There are three components of the Fiscal Policy of India: Government Receipts. Government Expenditure. Public Debt.

What are the 3 tools of fiscal policy? ›

Fiscal policy is therefore the use of government spending, taxation and transfer payments to influence aggregate demand. These are the three tools inside the fiscal policy toolkit.

What happens when government spending increases? ›

According to Keynesian economics, increased government spending raises aggregate demand and increases consumption, which leads to increased production and faster recovery from recessions.

What is fiscal policy in simple words? ›

Fiscal policy is defined as the policy under which the government uses the instrument of taxation, public spending and public borrowing to achieve various objectives of economic policy. Simply put, it is the policy of government spending and taxation to achieve sustainable growth.

What are the major fiscal functions? ›

Ans: There are four major fiscal functions of government; Allocation, Distribution, Economic Growth and Stabilization.

What are fiscal policies that impact the economy? ›

The two major fiscal policy tools that the U.S. government uses to influence the nation's economic activity are tax rates and government spending.

What are the main objectives of fiscal policy? ›

The primary objective of the fiscal policy is to regulate the case of economic stability, full employment and stabilize the growth rate. It is often optimized with monetary policy, including the banking system, the supply of money in circulation and the management of interest rates.

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