This is a PPT that I created for a discussion of the US Federal Budget, the Deficit, and the Debt. Many of the slides are public domain items for Heritage Foundation and Concord Coalition. It led to some very good non-partisan discussions. There is hope!

1. The Federal Budget
A (Hopefully) Non-Partisan Review and
Discussion of the Data and Options.
Joseph D. Botana II CPA
September 23rd, 2012

2. These pie
charts illustrate
the composition $3.5 TR
of our federal spending
budget.
The four largest sources
of spending -- Health,
Social Security, Defense,
and Income Security --
constitute over 75% of
annual expenditures.
While the government
brings in most of its
revenue from income
taxes and social
insurance taxes, the
second pie chart
demonstrates that the
deficit is similar in size to
these revenue sources.
As a result, our
government spends a
significant part of the
budget on annual interest, $2.3 TR
a percentage that will
continue to grow as revenues
deficits accumulate and
debt increases.

3. Revenues,
Outlays, and
the Deficit:
This line graph
shows historical and
projected data for U.S.
outlays and revenues.
Only four times since
1968 have revenues
exceeded outlays,
thereby eliminating the
deficit. Current policy
projections show that
the government is
unlikely to come close to
budget balance in future
years. Projections of
current law get closer,
but still don't achieve
balance.

4. MANDATORY SPENDING
Mandatory spending accounts for more than 60% of the federal budget. This bar chart shows the
projected amount, in billions of dollars, spent on select mandatory programs like Social Security,
Medicare, and Medicaid.

5. This bar chart shows how the federal budget will grow and change over the next twenty years .
As a percentage of GDP, the largest source of growth will be the rising interest on the U.S. national debt.

6. Outlays & Revenues: This line graph shows historical and projected data for U.S. outlays
and revenues. Only four times since 1968 have revenues exceeded outlays, thereby eliminating the
deficit. Current policy projections show that the government is unlikely to come close to budget balance in
future years. Projections of current law get closer, but still don't achieve balance.

8. Americans are
carrying lighter
debt burdens.
Debt held by
households and
nonprofits — including
money owed on
mortgages, student
loans, auto loans and
credit cards — was
equivalent to 113.2% of
after-tax income as of
June, the lowest level
since 2003. After
peaking at 134.4% in
summer 2007,
household debt has
fallen as consumers
make payments and
wipe out debt through
foreclosure and
bankruptcy.