Government expenditures are even higher than budgets report when charges for business-like services are considered on top of ordinary taxing and spending.
The federal government told the public it spent $6.8 trillion last year, or $20,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States. Yet the federal government spent even more than it claimed. Last year the government estimated it would collect $640 billion in charges and fees for the services it offered, such as mailing packages and providing flood insurance. These charges and the expenditures they covered, another $2,000 or so per person, aren’t included in the traditional definition of government spending.
Commentators concerned about growing federal involvement in business have focused on issues such as its recent equity stake in Intel, which are concerning, to be sure. But federal, state, and local governments have all become more involved in business-like operations that few citizens can avoid but for which they must constantly pay.
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Judge Glock is the director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal.
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