Government articles
How much are candidates spending for the 2026 midterm?
As of September 2026, Senate and House candidates have spent around $1.94 billion on races for the 2026 November midterm election. That's about 72.8% of campaign funds raised this election cycle.
How much money are candidates raising for the 2026 midterm?
As of September 2026, United States candidates have raised around $2.66 billion toward federal races for the 2026 November midterm election.
What percentage of public school funding in the US comes from the federal government?
About 11.7% or one in nine dollars of public school funding came from the federal government during the 2023–24 school year. Local and state governments typically provide most school district funding, with the federal government providing the rest. Federal sources provide as little as 0% and as much as 88.2% of funding, depending on the district. Federal funding depends on factors such as poverty levels and other student demographics, availability of state and local revenues, and whether a district is urban, suburban, or rural. During 2023–24, which is the latest year of data available, public schools received $121.2 billion, or $2,460 in federal funds per student.
How are public schools in the US funded?
Public schools are funded primarily from state and local governments. In the 2023–2024 school year, the most recent year of available data, about 45.8% of public school funding came from state sources, and another 42.5% came from local sources. The federal government provided the remaining 11.7%, often through programs like Title I or IDEA that are aimed at supporting specific student needs. Altogether, public schools received $1.04 trillion in funding, or $21,100 per student.
Crash Course x USAFacts: Big questions on US government
Every episode brought to life with data.
How many presidential nominations have been confirmed by the current Senate?
As of September 30, 2026, the Senate had confirmed 1,631 of the 2,277 nominations the president submitted since the term began in January 2025. That is a 71.6% confirmation rate. The 119th Congress runs through January 2027, so nominations still awaiting action are counted in the total.
How many laws has Congress passed in its current term?
The 119th Congress has passed 117 laws as of September 2026. The term started in January 2025 and ends in January 2027. On average, Congress passed 453 laws during each two-year term dating back to 1981, the 97th Congress.
Why Are US Politics Today So Divisive?
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How much foreign aid does the US provide overall?
About $48.3 billion in aid was obligated for fiscal year (FY) 2025, the most recent fully-reported year. Another $5.65 billion has been reported for FY 2026, and $5.65 billion was reported for FY 2026.
What countries receive the most foreign aid from the US?
In fiscal year (FY) 2025 — the most recent fully-reported year — Ukraine received $6.75 billion, the most of any country. This amount reflects disbursements, a measure of foreign aid that captures when money is actually transferred out of US government accounts. Foreign aid is reported by more than 20 agencies within the federal government that fund foreign assistance activities.
All about taxes
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) came with some big tax changes. When do they take effect and what's the tax story so far? Here's your one stop shop for everything taxes.
Just the Facts on 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.
What is subsidized housing? | Episode 3 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 7:36M
Just the Facts on federal, state, and local government finances
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 many civilian jobs are in the US federal government?
There are about 2.67 million civilian jobs in the federal government as of August 2026. Federal jobs include all jobs ranging from janitors to air traffic controllers to nurses to postal workers and more. (Enlisted service people are considered government employees but aren’t included in this figure because they’re not civilians.) Out of the 159.1 million nonfarm jobs in the US, 1.7% are in the federal government, the nation’s largest employer. Another way to look at it: The federal government is responsible for 1 in 60 jobs.
What is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program?
WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is a government program run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides federal grants to states for food assistance, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health referrals to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children under age 5. WIC began as a pilot program in 1972 and became permanent in 1975.
Is Congress representative of the American people?
Congress is older, more educated, and made up of a higher share of men than the US population.
How do SNAP benefits impact food insecurity? | Episode 4 of Just the Facts: Do You Qualify?
JUST THE FACTS · 9:19M
How much debt does the US have?
The US has $40.2 trillion in debt as of August 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.
How much money does the US federal government collect?
The federal government collected $5.26 trillion in fiscal year 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.