More on Cutting Government Spending

Cutting costs is hard and no one likes to do it. This may explain the current claim that it is impossible to cut federal expenditures, even though everyone knows that this is nonsense. The way to cut federal expenditures is to reduce the programs that one spends money on.

In fact, inflation-adjusted federal expenditures have been cut 6 times since World War II, though not by much and not often. They fell from 1953 to 1954, from 1955 to 1956, from 1959 to 1960, from 1968 to 1969, from 1986 to 1987, and from 1992 to 1993.

Comments (4)

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  1. Devon Herrick says:

    Greece is a prime example of how excessive government and out-of-control spending can reduce economic growth. Yet no country (not even Greece) seems willing to face the fact that this cannot be sustained. Politicians in the United States also seem oblivious to the problems that await future generations from previous generations’ public spending.

  2. Ken says:

    Good observation, Linda.

  3. Larry C. says:

    So it’s possible to tackle the thing that cannot be done. And do it.

  4. Bruce says:

    What’s the problem? Just suck it up and cut.