Americans think the government spends too much; here's what it actually spends
What Trump dismantling Education Dept. would mean
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump heaped scorn on the federal Department of Education, describing it as being infiltrated by " radicals, zealots and Marxists." He has picked Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive, to lead the department. But like many conservative politicians before him, Trump has called for dismantling the department altogether — a cumbersome task that likely would require action from Congress. Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, joined LiveNOW from FOX to discuss.
As President Donald Trump and Elon Musk push for extensive cuts to the federal budget, recent polling suggests Americans may not be on board with slashing education and humanitarian aid spending.
According to polls from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, U.S adults mostly think the government isn't spending enough on key issues and programs. But conversely – and the biggest challenge for lawmakers – Americans are broadly in favor of cuts to the federal budget.
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What do Americans think about government spending?
What they're saying:
About two-thirds of Americans say the U.S. government is spending "too little" on Social Security and education, according to a January AP-NORC poll. Another 6 in 10, roughly, say too little money is going to assistance to the poor. A similar share say spending is too low for Medicare, the national health care insurance program for seniors, and most also say Medicaid is under-funded by the federal government.
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About one-third of U.S. adults say the federal government is spending "too much" on the military. About one-third say the military is getting "too little" funding, and another one-third say it takes in "about the right amount." But most Republicans say the military is underfunded, while slightly less than half of Democrats say it's getting too much money.
FILE - The US Capitol is seen at sunrise on September 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Foreign aid is one area where there is broad consensus that the U.S. is overspending. The 2023 AP-NORC polling suggests that Americans tend to believe too much money is going to other countries.
Roughly 7 in 10 U.S. adults said the government was putting too much money toward "assistance to other countries." About 9 in 10 Republicans and just over half of Democrats agreed that the country was overspending on foreign aid at the time. But polling has also shown that U.S. adults tend to overestimate the share of the federal budget that is spent on foreign aid.
What is the government actually spending?
Foreign aid spending
By the numbers:
Surveys from KFF have found that, on average, Americans say spending on foreign aid makes up 31% of the federal budget rather than the actual answer: closer to 1% or less.
Social Security spending
According to the nonpartisan Center on Budget Policies and Priorities (CBPP), in 2024, 21% of the budget, or $1.5 trillion, was spent on Social Security, providing monthly retirement benefits averaging $1,922 to 51.5 million retired workers. Social Security also paid benefits to 2.6 million spouses and children of retired workers, 5.8 million surviving children and spouses of deceased workers, and 8.4 million disabled workers and their eligible dependents.
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and ACA spending
Four health insurance programs — Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace health insurance subsidies — comprised a combined 24% of the 2024 federal budget, or $1.7 trillion. More than half – or $912 billion – went to Medicare, which provided health coverage to around 67 million people who are 65 or older or have disabilities.
The rest was spent on Medicaid and CHIP ($626 billion) and ACA subsidy and marketplace costs ($125 billion). Both Medicaid and CHIP require states to pay some of their total costs, according to the CBPP.
Defense spending
National defense made up 13 percent of the budget, or $872 billion.
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"About 95 percent of the spending in this category reflects the underlying costs of the Defense Department, largely for operations and maintenance; military personnel; procurement of weapons; and research, development, testing, and evaluation," the CBPP says.
Education spending
In 2024, the federal government spent about 5% of its total budget on education. This includes elementary, secondary, and vocational education; higher education; and research and general educational aids
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press, NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Center on Budget Policies and Priorities.