Government articles
How much debt does the US have?
The US has $39.2 trillion in debt as of May 2026. The federal government borrows money when its spending and investments cannot be funded by federal revenue alone; this debt enables the government to pay for programs and services when funds aren’t immediately available.
Is Social Security running out?
The federal government spent $1.58 trillion on Social Security in fiscal year 2025. This accounted for 22.5% of the total federal budget. The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides financial support for people of retirement age, people with disabilities, and survivors of family losses including spouses and children. In 2025 Social Security spending included: $1.36 trillion (86.2%) went to retirement benefits $158.6 billion (10.0%) went to disability benefits $59.0 billion (3.7%) covered other benefits How many people receive Social Security benefits? In December 2025, nearly 90% of people ages 65 and older were enrolled in the program. Across all ages, the program covered 70.5 million people, including: 53.6 million retired workers and their 2.8 million spouses and dependents 7.1 million disabled workers and their 1.0 million spouses and dependents 5.8 million survivors
Why don’t people vote?
The 2024 presidential election was decided by around 2 million votes. More than 18 million registered voters — 10% of all registered voters — didn’t vote.Why did so many Americans pass on this civic involvement? For 20% of them, it was simply lack of interest, according to Census Bureau data. Another 18% were too busy, while 15% didn’t like the candidates or issues on the ballot. Illness or disability kept another 12% of them from the polls, 7% were out of town, and 4% just forgot.More people are just not interestedIncreasingly, people who don’t vote say they just don’t have any interest. In 2004, 11% of registered voters who didn’t cast ballots cited disinterest, nine percentage points lower than 2024’s 20%. Disinterest became the top reason for not voting as of 2020.
Just the Facts about the federal budget
Steve talks about the federal budget, including how the government makes money (namely, income taxes) and how revenue collection and spending decisions impact the US federal deficit and debt, military spending, and American daily life.
How big is the US national debt?
In this episode of Just the Facts, Steve Ballmer breaks down the data behind America’s national debt using official U.S. government sources. The US national debt now exceeds $38 trillion, the highest level in history. But that number alone doesn’t explain what the debt is, how it grew, or what it means for the economy.
Breaking down government finances: federal, state, and local
In this episode of Just the Facts, Steve Ballmer breaks down how government responsibilities and spending are divided across federal, state, and local governments in the United States, using official government data. With nearly 91,000 government entities nationwide, understanding who does what — and who pays for it — is more complicated than it might seem.
How much money does the US federal government collect?
About $5.26 trillion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This is about $15,400 per person in the US, however individual contributions vary based on income, spending, and other factors. Government revenue is the total amount of money received from individual and corporate taxes, and other sources that are used to pay for government spending.
What is Medicaid and how many Americans use it? | Episode 2 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 7:15M
What is subsidized housing? | Episode 3 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 7:36M
How does the government help low-income students? | Episode 5 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 9:34M
What cash assistance does the government provide? | Episode 6 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 7:16M
How do SNAP benefits impact food insecurity? | Episode 4 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 9:17M
How much foreign aid does the US provide overall?
About $85.8 billion in aid was obligated for fiscal year (FY) 2024, the most recent fully-reported year. Another $46.1 billion has been reported for FY 2025, and $4.31 billion was reported for FY 2026.
What does the Department of Transportation (DOT) do?
The Department of Transportation (USDOT, DOT) is a cabinet-level executive branch agency responsible for overseeing national transportation systems and infrastructure. Its functions include developing and implementing federal transportation policies; ensuring the safety and efficiency of highways, railroads, air travel, and maritime transport; and administering funding for transportation projects including local transit systems. It was established in 1966.
How much US government debt is owned by other countries?
As of March 2026, about 23.9% of US government debt, or $9.35 trillion, is owned by other countries. When the federal government spends more money than it collects in revenue, it sells US Treasury securities to bring in cash and pay for the difference. People, governments, corporations, and investment funds like retirement accounts — both US and international — can purchase these.
Are abortion pills banned in the US?
Medicated abortions were 53% of all abortions nationally in 2022, the most recent data available. As of May 2026, 13 states have near-total bans on mifepristone and 37 states and Washington, DC legally allow it. Mifepristone is typically used to induce a medical abortion during early pregnancy (70 days or less since the first day of a patient’s last menstrual period) and treat early miscarriages.
How are public schools in the US funded?
Public schools are funded primarily from state and local governments. In the 2022–2023 school year, the most recent year of available data, about 45.1% of public school funding came from state sources like income and retail taxes, and another 42% came from local sources like property taxes. The federal government provided the remaining 12.9%, often through programs like Title I or IDEA that are aimed at supporting specific student needs. Altogether, public schools received $981.8 billion in funding, or $19,900 per student.
What is the money supply, and how does it relate to inflation?
Grab your wallet – have any cash? Do you have a debit card? Are there coins loose in your sofa cushion? It’s all part of the national money supply. What is the money supply?The amount of money in the economy at any given time is called the “money supply” and it’s one of many metrics the Fed uses to monitor the economy — because of how it helps us understand inflation. Policymakers scrutinize the money supply to see what’s driving inflation so they can figure out how to mitigate it, an economic goal with no party lines. Broadly, the money supply is the total amount of money circulating through the economy. Specifically, the Federal Reserve defines it as the group of safe assets that households and businesses can use to make payments or hold as short-term investments, which includes both physical cash and money in accounts that are easily accessed. Economists commonly use two measures of money supply, M1 and M2. M1 includes physical currency in circulation along with checking, savings, retirement, and similar accounts. M2 is a broader measure that adds funds held in small-denomination time deposits (like certificates of deposit or CDs) and retail money market mutual fund shares. The main distinction between M1 and M2 is how easy it is to access these assets; M2 assets can be converted into cash, but it takes a bit more effort to access them than M1 assets.
How much federal money goes toward all state and local governments?
The federal government provided $1.22 trillion to state and local governments in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This total includes money transferred to states, tribal governments, and local governments, such as cities and counties. Federal funding helps state and local governments pay for things like infrastructure, education, and health care for low-income people. In FY 2025, these transfers made up 17% of all federal spending.
How much does the federal government spend on SNAP every year?
The federal government spent $101.7 billion on SNAP during fiscal year (FY) 2025. That’s 1.4% of all federal spending. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), once known as the Food Stamp program, is administered by the Department of Agriculture providing food assistance to low-income people.