> what did America get in exchange for doubling the size of its government between 2000 and 2012? That's a valid question. Working from www.usgovernmentspendin

> what did America get in exchange for doubling the size of its government between 2000 and 2012? That's a valid question. Working from www.usgovernmentspending.com, I found the increase to be about $1.7 trillion. $300 billion is health care, mostly Medicaid; $500 billion from increased defense spending, and $300 billion in transfer payments, including unemployment, food stamps, SSI, and the child tax credit. Inflation accounts for about $500 billion as well. So to answer your question, "what we got" is that we are able to pay for the increase in medical costs, the increase in the number of people needing assistance, and the War on Terror. With the exception of the military, these increases are mostly in reaction to the changes in the economy, not due to new policies. Hopefully an improving economy will lift incomes and reduce the need for these programs.