By
Mattea Kramer
Posted:
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Budget Process,
Debt & Deficit,
Health Care,
Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net
Last week I wrote a post called Fiscal Cliff Definition, with a simple explanation of the much-hyped, so-called fiscal cliff. (I also suggested that we call it a "fiscal obstacle course" instead of a cliff, because that's a more appropriate metaphor.) The next important question is: What's going to happen?
By
Chris Hellman
Posted:
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Budget Process,
Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net
Because the Social Security program is an earned benefit programs – future beneficiaries pay into the system while they are members of the work force – it is often assumed that your benefits are based on your contributions to the program. In this model, Social Security operates like a government ...
By
Mattea Kramer
Posted:
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Debt & Deficit,
Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net
Paul from Northampton, Mass., wrote in to ask: "Some politicians say Social Security in no way contributes to the deficit. But for the last two years Social Security expenditures have exceeded Social Security revenues. How does this not contribute to the deficit?" Good question, Paul.
By
Becky Sweger
Posted:
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Budget Process,
Debt & Deficit,
Education,
Health Care
NPP's research team live-tweeted and fact-checked the first debate of the 2012 Presidential Election. If you missed, here are our top 5 tweets.
By
Guest Blogger
Posted:
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Budget Process,
Health Care,
Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net
I used to be oblivious to the inner workings of my pay stub, and how the taxes I pay are used by the federal government. As a recent high school graduate, working two jobs and preparing for college, reading A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget has been a real eye-opener. As I prepare to vote for the first time this fall, and enter into college as a political science major, I am more aware of how seemingly concrete numbers can be twisted around to aid different points of view.
By
Mattea Kramer
Posted:
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Budget Process,
Debt & Deficit,
Education,
Health Care,
Military & Security,
Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net
By
Becky Sweger
Posted:
|
Budget Process
During Pie Week, we’ve explored three types of federal spending pies: total, mandatory, and discretionary. Judging from your comments on our Facebook page, you have strong opinions about the numbers on these charts. To wrap up the week, we think it’s important to see the spending charts next to one ...
By
Becky Sweger
Posted:
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Budget Process
For the second day of Pie Week, we present the mandatory spending pie. Mandatory spending is part of total federal spending, which we explored in yesterday's total federal spending pie.
By
Mattea Kramer
Posted:
By
Mattea Kramer
Posted:
|
Budget Process
Many of our Facebook fans have been asking why National Priorities Project includes Social Security in charts about federal spending. If Social Security is funded by a dedicated source—your payroll taxes, also called FICA—then shouldn’t Social Security be shown separately from other kinds of federal spending? Most of the cost ...