The Role of Government - Part II

Now that we know how to role of government was outlined in the Constitution, we turn our attention to the role that Government is fulfiling today. It appears that the role of Government has metamorphosized into a larger command structure who's goal it is apparently to manage, and provide for an increasing number of services and responsibilities on behalf of the people.

The Federal Government, as envisioned by the framers of the constitution, was intended to be weak. There was no intent for it to enter into the realm of civil law nor service. States were responsible for providing for their constituents in most respects, and the government was to ensure mutual cooperation and free commerce between member states. The State currently provides for most of the services we benefit from - including education, roadways, santiation, security (police), and in some cases utilities (water and electricity). As individuals, we usually receive very little direct value from the Federal government - other than assurances that we are being kept "safe" as a result of federal action. A question arises as to why is it that most of our tax dollars we shell out goes to this federal government? What exactly are we paying for? My NYS Tax rate is around 6% while my federal tax rate is 22%. And yet, I receive everything I could possibly need from New York. What value is the federal government providing me? What am I paying for? An analysis of the Federal Budget gives the individual a glimpse of what the Role of Government has become:

2008 United States Federal Budget

Mandatory spending: $1.788 trillion (+4.2%)*
$608 billion (+4.5%) - Social Security
$386 billion (+5.2%) - Medicare
$209 billion (+5.6%) - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$324 billion (+1.8%) - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$261 billion (+9.2%) - Interest on National Debt

Discretionary spending: $1.114 trillion (+3.1%)
$481.4 billion (+12.1%) - United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion (+45.8%) - Global War on Terror
$69.3 billion (+0.3%) - Health and Human Services
$56.0 billion (+0.0%) - United States Department of Education
$39.4 billion (+18.7%) - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$35.2 billion (+1.4%) - US Department of Housing and Urban Development
$35.0 billion (+22.0%) - State and Other International Programs
$34.3 billion (+7.2%) - Department of Homeland Security
$24.3 billion (+6.6%) - Energy
$20.2 billion (+4.1%) - Department of Justice
$20.2 billion (+3.1%) - Department of Agriculture
$17.3 billion (+6.8%) - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.1 billion (+13.1%) - Department of Transportation
$12.1 billion (+6.1%) - Department of Treasury
$10.6 billion (+2.9%) - United States Department of the Interior
$10.6 billion (-9.4%) - United States Department of Labor
$51.8 billion (+9.7%) - Other On-budget Discretionary Spending
$39.0 billion - Other Off-budget Discretionary Spending
*Percentages in parenthesis indicate budget growth over previous year.