Landmark #4: Government
On the previous page I encouraged you to be an informed citizen and take an active role in the affairs of government. Taking an interest in the budget of your government is one of the many avenues you might explore. The chart below shows a rough breakdown of the estimated 1995 federal expenditures, along with my own off-the-cuff suggestions about where we should be spending our money. How would you allocate the federal budget? What programs would you add, and what would you cut?
| 1995 Budget Outlays billion $ |
My Ideas billion |
Your Ideas billion |
Budget Item | 1995 Budget Outlays % |
My Ideas % |
Your Ideas % |
| 273 | 136 | DOD, DOE defense activities, and international security assistance | 17.5% | 8.7% | ||
| 39 | 39 | Veterans benefits (income security, housing, health care, education, etc.) | 2.5% | 2.5% | ||
| 12 | 12 | Foreign affairs and international cooperation | 0.7% | 0.7% | ||
| 4 | 8 | International development and humanitarian assistance | 0.3% | 0.5% | ||
| -- | 12 | International family planning initiative | -- | 0.8% | ||
| -- | 25 | International safe water initiative | -- | 1.6% | ||
| -- | 3 | International literacy initiative | -- | 0.2% | ||
| -- | 8 | International health care initiative | -- | 0.5% | ||
| -- | 20 | International food and shelter initiative | -- | 1.3% | ||
| 1 | 12 | Energy conservation, emergency preparedness, information, policy, & regs. | 0.1% | 0.8% | ||
| 3 | 1 | Energy supply | 0.2% | 0.1% | ||
| 19 | 19 | Nat. resources & environment (recreation, conservation, pollution control, etc.) | 1.2% | 1.2% | ||
| 17 | 17 | General science, space & technology | 1.1% | 1.1% | ||
| 14 | 14 | General government | 0.9% | 0.9% | ||
| 17 | 22 | Judicial, correctional, and law enforcement | 1.1% | 1.4% | ||
| 221 | 221 | Income security (food, housing, unemployment, retirement, and disability) | 14.1% | 14.1% | ||
| 124 | 80 | Health care (services, research, safety, and health security) | 7.9% | 5.1% | ||
| 156 | 156 | Medicare | 9.9% | 9.9% | ||
| 337 | 337 | Social security | 21.5% | 21.5% | ||
| 54 | 70 | Education, training, employment, and social services | 3.4% | 4.5% | ||
| 9 | 9 | Community/regional development | 0.6% | 0.6% | ||
| 6 | 1 | Postal service and other commerce | 0.4% | 0.1% | ||
| 38 | 8 | Transportation | 2.4% | 0.5% | ||
| 10 | 1 | Farm income stabilization | 0.6% | 0.1% | ||
| 3 | 3 | Agricultural research and services | 0.2% | 0.2% | ||
| 213 | 213 | Net interest on debt | 13.6% | 13.6% | ||
| -- | 124 | Debt reduction | -- | 7.9% | ||
| 1,571 | 1,571 | 1,571 | Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Exercise | Fill in the "Your Ideas" column
on the chart above to indicate your desired level of
funding for each of the government activities listed.
Print this page and send copies to your elected
representatives.
|
"Politicians usually figure one letter represents about a hundred constituents. People don't realize it, but ten letters to a congressman or senator or governor will often get real results."
-- David Siegel, What Is Worth Doing
If you thought this page about the U.S. budget was interesting, you might also want to go have a look at the U.S. Federal Budget Simulation, a web page offered by the University of California at Berkeley.
The Bottom Line
Think about what you want your government to do, and keep your
elected representatives apprised of your opinions.
