3 ms·

Breakdown from 2016: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/images/pubs-images/52xxx/52408-Land-Budget_Overall.png https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/f

Breakdown from 2016: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/images/pubs-images/52xxx/52408-Land-Budget_Overall.png https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/images/pubs... Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid consist of almost 50% of the federal budget. If you include "Other," which includes other welfare programs such as veterans benefits, federal food stamps, as well as "Non-defense," which includes additional veterans benefits/housing/health, you can see that a very large percentage of the federal budget is on social safety nets. And again, that is only federal. The amount of money locally and statewide that is put into affordable housing, homeless shelters, planned parenthood, etc at the local level contributes to what amounts to a nontrivial amount spent on social safety nets.

perl4ever 9y ago
The term "social safety net" or "welfare program" as applied to veterans' benefits doesn't seem appropriate for this discussion. After all, people who don't work for the military also have benefits, which are not considered welfare programs, so it's inconsistent to throw this category in. Social Security and Medicare are not particularly redistributive, so I don't think it's appropriate to include them either. The terms "welfare" or "safety net" implies to me taking from the well off and helping a relatively small number who are in need.
- candiodari 9y ago
  As long as you apply the same rules to other countries you compare to, that's great. But then, again, the US is going to look pretty good compared to others. (and I would like to add that there are plenty of economists saying that in fact most or all of a country's military budget is a social welfare program, as it's a job-of-last-resort for young people, which definitely helps them)

3 ms·

Breakdown from 2016: https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/images/pubs-images/52xxx/52408-Land-Budget_Overall.png https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/f

by ralusek 9y ago

perl4ever 9y ago
The term "social safety net" or "welfare program" as applied to veterans' benefits doesn't seem appropriate for this discussion. After all, people who don't work for the military also have benefits, which are not considered welfare programs, so it's inconsistent to throw this category in. Social Security and Medicare are not particularly redistributive, so I don't think it's appropriate to include them either. The terms "welfare" or "safety net" implies to me taking from the well off and helping a relatively small number who are in need.
- candiodari 9y ago
  As long as you apply the same rules to other countries you compare to, that's great. But then, again, the US is going to look pretty good compared to others. (and I would like to add that there are plenty of economists saying that in fact most or all of a country's military budget is a social welfare program, as it's a job-of-last-resort for young people, which definitely helps them)