How does the federal government spend its money? Q.How does the federal government spend its money? A.In fiscal year (FY) 2014, about 60 percent of federal spending paid for programs not subject to regular budget review, while just over a third covered discretionary programs for which Congress must regularly appropriate funds. Less than a tenth went for interest on government debt (figure 1). Read more about How does the federal government spend its money?
How much spending is uncontrollable? Q.How much spending is uncontrollable? A. Entitlement spending is generally said to be uncontrollable for political rather than legal reasons. It can always be controlled legally by reforming programs, but when an entitlement is extremely popular, reform may require more political courage than is readily available. Read more about How much spending is uncontrollable?
