| Addressing the Long-Run Budget Deficit: A Comparison of Approaches Contributor(s): Congressional Research Service (Author) |
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ISBN: 1512273570 ISBN-13: 9781512273571 Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform OUR PRICE: $14.96 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2015 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science - Reference |
| Physical Information: 0.09" H x 8.5" W x 11.02" (0.27 lbs) 42 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: A small share of federal spending is for direct provision of domestic government services, which many people may think of when considering federal spending. Because this spending is normally about 10% of total federal spending and about 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) and deficits are projected to be 2.8% of GDP and rising in the future, cutting this type of spending can make only a limited contribution to reducing the deficit. (Note that direct provision of domestic services by the federal government is smaller than the total of nondefense discretionary spending, about 17% of spending, because it excludes transfers. Discretionary spending is spending that requires appropriations.) Transfers and payments to persons and state and local governments constitute most of federal spending, about 70%. Defense spending, currently accounting for about 20% of spending, has declined over the past 35 years but tends to vary depending, in part, on the presence and magnitude of international conflicts. |