Political Science

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Outlays (Spending), Revenue, Deficits or Surpluses, and National Debt

Note that the inflation conversion factors are based on calendar year rather than national government budget year (fiscal year, often abbreviated FY).  Because this applies to all years, no distortions should result from the minor divergence.  The national government budget year begins October 1 and is named after the calendar year in which it ends.  Until 1976 the national government budget year began July 1.  (The period July 1 to September 30, 1976 is called the “transitional quarter,” generally abbreviated TQ.)

• National Government Outlays (Spending), Revenues, and Resulting Deficits or Surpluses in Billions of Constant (2002) Dollars, 1792 through 1902
• National Government Outlays (Spending), Revenues, and Resulting Deficits or Surpluses in Billions of Constant (2002) Dollars, 1902 through 2002
• National Government Outlays (Spending) in Constant (2002) Dollars and as Percent of the National Economy, 1792 to 2002
• Per Person National Government Outlays (Spending) and National Debt (Accumulated Deficits) in Constant (2002) Dollars, 1792 to 2002
• Change in National Government Outlays (Spending) by Presidential Term 1952 through estimated 2004, in Constant Dollars, Using CPI-U-X1, which applies the post-1982 CPI measure to the entire period
• National Debt in Billions of Current and Constant (2002) Dollars and as Percent of the National Economy, 1792 through 2002
• Change in National Debt by Presidential Term, 1952 through estimated 2004, in Constant Dollars, Using CPI-U-X1, which applies the post-1982 CPI measure to the entire period
• National Government Outlays, Revenues, and Resulting Deficits or Surpluses as Percent of the National Economy, 1930 through 2002
• Mandatory and Discretionary Composition of National Government Budget Outlays as Percent of Total Outlays, 1962 to estimated 2004
• Yearly Inflation-adjusted Change in Discretionary Outlays, 1962 to estimated 2004, in Percent
• Yearly Inflation-adjusted Change in Mandatory and Net Interest Outlays, 1962 to estimated 2004, in Percent
• Inflation-adjusted Change in Mandatory, Discretionary, and Interest Outlays by Presidential Term, 1964 to estimated 2004, in Percent
• Composition of Mandatory Spending, by Percent, 1964 to estimated 2008, in Percent
• Composition of Discretionary Spending, by Percent, 1964 to estimated 2008, in Percent
• Composition of National Government Budget Outlays for “Big Five” (Social Security, Defense, Interest, Medicare, Medicaid) and for Everything Else, 1962 to estimated 2004
• Inflation-adjusted Change in Outlays for Selected Categories of National Government Spending per Person, by Presidential Term Johnson to George W. Bush, in percent (this examines inflation-adjusted spending per person, that is, total spending divided by US population, not per recipient; the changes are examined in more detail at the bottom of this page, or via this link)
• Summary pdf file with all charts in this national government budget section
• Detailed examination of National Government Budget Outlays for “Big Five” and other items