Sometimes the size and scope of the federal budget can be so overwhelming it’s hard to comprehend. And with so much pre-election chatter, it can get downright dizzying. So as a public service, the following is a simplified recap of spending, as reported on the federal website, to help you wrap your head around it. (It’s a rough average of recent and projected years.)  You’re welcome. 

Let’s say the government has about 100 dollars to spend each year…

We spend about 24 bucks taking care of old folks. That’s the amount that goes in some shape or form to Medicare.

About 24 dollars goes to Social Security.

The Defense Department gets about 23 bucks.

Welfare is about 11 dollars.

The fifth largest line item is debt service. We make a 7-dollar interest payment.

It costs about 3 dollars to transport federal stuff all around each year.

Education also gets about 3 bucks.

Paying federal salaries is about 1 buck; making sure courts and prisons are safe is another 1 dollar.

That leaves 3 bucks. Which is what we spend on R&D, Agriculture and Forestry, Fuel and Energy, Mining and Manufacturing, Communications, Economic Affairs, Waste and Pollution, EPA, Housing and Urban Development, Recreation and Cultural Services, Religious and Community Services, and Broadcasting and Publications.

So there goes the 100 dollars. In the meantime, the government has collected about 65 dollars in taxes. So that results in an annual deficit of about 35 bucks. And that gets added to the national debt.

Which currently stands at about 460 bucks.