What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is an independent federal agency established in 1964 by the Administrative Conference Act. The agency evaluates and makes recommendations to improve the administrative processes of government agencies. To do this, ACUS conducts research studies and provides recommendations to promote efficiency, participation, and fairness in the implementation of federal programs. ACUS publishes reference guides and resources, and organizes forums and roundtables to disseminate their findings and recommendations.

In FY 2025,

$3M

was spent by the Administrative Conference of the United States
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Administrative Conference of the United States

How much does the Administrative Conference of the United States spend?

Administrative Conference of the United States spent $3 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.000043% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 121st among federal agencies in total spending.

The Administrative Conference of the United States accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of ACUS net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Administrative Conference of the United States’ federal spending has decreased from $4.27 million in 1980 to $3 million in 2025.

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The Administrative Conference of the United States’s federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by ACUS, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, the Administrative Conference of the United States' spending has decreased 29.7%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, ACUS accounted for 0.000043% of all federal spending. That’s 0.000038 percentage points lower than 2015 and 0.00014 points lower than in 1980.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Administrative Conference of the United States's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to ACUS, FYs 1980–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the Administrative Conference of the United States's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net ACUS spending.

How did the Administrative Conference of the United States spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to ACUS, FY 2025

How many people work for the Administrative Conference of the United States?

Some 10 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the Administrative Conference of the United States as of May 2026. This is 23.1% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Administrative Conference of the United States has decreased 23.1% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for ACUS, May 2012–2026

ACUS accounts for 0.00049% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. ACUS constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.00062%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Administrative Conference of the United States’s share of the workforce (0.00049%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.000043%).

Who leads the Administrative Conference of the United States?

ACUS is led by a Chairperson, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve a five-year term. Unlike cabinet-level positions, the Chair serves a fixed term and does not change automatically with a new presidential administration.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.