A word about these charts. They come from the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. Their methodology is fully explained here.
When I began to research this project, theirs was and remains the easiest and most logical analysis to understand.
Chart 1
This is represents all seven trillion dollars of Federal spending. Approximately 75% of the budget is mandatory spending and interest on the debt.
Chart 2
This chart breaks down what is in that 75% of the wedge. This is what is non-negotiable when those of us outside government discuss the budget.
Chart 3
This chart represents that small yellow wedge in Chart 1. This is where we have a say. This is the discretionary budget.
Chart 4
Here’s the big picture, all of it mashed together, and sorted by total outlay to each pie slice.
