November 3, 2010
Average Annual Increase in Spending: United vs. Divided Government
Matthew D. Mitchell
Senior Research Fellow
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To speak with a scholar or learn more on this topic, visit our contact page.This chart by Mercatus Center Research Fellow Matthew Mitchell illustrates a divided government's impact on spending. The bars depict the average annual growth rate in inflation-adjusted federal spending under different combinations of political control. United governments—in which one party controls both Congress and the White House—tend to increase spending more than divided governments.
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