Politicians have their own ideals and plans for how America should be run. And it may
not sound like they’re talking about money when they are campaigning, but the whole Democrat
versus Republican thing is really about where American tax dollars should be going. So,
before you dive in on either side, it might be a good idea to get a handle on how “we
the people” are currently spending our tax dollars. Before we start there is a quick
thing to note. These numbers are from 2013, and do not include Social Security or Medicare.
The money for those programs is determined by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act
Tax and not the annual budget. So politicians can’t do much to change the amount of taxes
that go to those programs. Here are the programs that the federal budget does touch.
Around *8 (8.64%) cents on every dollar goes toward paying interest on our debt. This is
another one that’s largely non-negotiable, but it’s a significant amount and worth
mentioning here. 17 cents out of every dollar is spent on government
programs like subsidising and supporting Agriculture, commerce, transportation, and governmental
administration. (6.13%) Or on Science and Space technology; things like NASA and the
National Science Foundation (1.13%). International Affairs (1.82%) which includes things like
the State Department and all non-military foreign aid. Some of the budget goes to responding
to Natural Disasters (0.9%). Or to community and regional development, which includes things
like waste disposal and urban development (.37%).
That 17 cents also goes to the environment, including the parks department, and managing
our natural resources and energy development (1.92%). Or to Immigration, border control
and the Justice Department (2.06%). We also have a program for Education and Jobs Training
(2.85%). All of that combined accounts for about 17 cents out of every income tax dollar
- and when you think about how many important programs we just mentioned, it really doesn’t
seem like a lot. So where is the real money going?
Around 50% of our budget goes toward keeping our citizens healthy and out of poverty, which
is a pretty good place for it to be. Almost 19 (18.77) cents on every dollar is spent
on Jobs and Family security. Things like Unemployment insurance, food assistance, housing assistance,
federal retirement funds, foster care, and temporary assistance for needy families. Veterans
benefits also fall into this portion of the budget. They account for an additional 6 (5.44)
cents on every dollar. And health care programs like medicaid, disease control, and numerous
others account for an additional 25 (25.19) cents. Again, that’s half the budget. The
well-being of our citizenship is something that most politicians can get behind.
Something else most politicians can get behind is National Defense, which accounts for almost
a quarter (24.79%) of our national budget. But before you get upset about how we’re
spending almost as much on the military as we are on medical services, let’s talk a
little bit about where the defense budget actually goes.
Yes, the majority of it is spent on building weapons and conducting military operations.
But 5.97% of it does goes toward personnel salaries and benefits. That 6 cents is literally
how we’re supporting our troops. Some of that defense budget is also going towards
maintaining or nuclear defense capabilities. And another portion of it is going to Defense-related
FBI activities. Plus the U.S. Military has more than 15,654 square miles of bases and
facilities to maintain. So, that 24.79% isn’t all going towards bombs and invasions. Some
of it is just there to maintain the troops, bases and equipment we already have. If you found this video informative, please be sure to Subscribe!