State of The Nation

  No Labels bills itself as a bipartisan grassroots movement of “over 1 million Americans” who are “tired of extremes on the left and the right” The history of third parties in America Americans are deeply divided when it comes to politics. In 2016—for the first time in two decades—more than half of each party said they viewed the other side in “deeply unfavorable terms.” Slightly fewer than half thought the other side was a “threat to the nation's well-being.” A recent survey found that about 42% of people think members of the other party are “downright evil.” While some suggest the nation hasn't seen such division since the Civil War, the country has a history of disparate political views since the signing of the Constitution. President George Washington was an independent, and didn't believe in Parties. America's creators didn't mention political parties in any of the founding documents, and Washington championed moderation. In his 1796 farewell add...

  CPRT-113SPRT89394.pdf ‘The Evolving Congress,’’ which was prepared by the Congressional Research Service. This compendium of 22 reports was written by staff of the Government and Finance Division during the CRS centennial year. It is a fitting contribution by the Service whose mission is not only to analyze the domestic and international issues that impact the legislative agenda but also to advise on the future organization and operations of Congress and the institution’s policymaking process. The goal of this project is to inform the legislative debate moving forward by examining how and why Congress evolved over the previous decades to where it is today. In addition to the analysts and information professionals who prepared the various pieces that make up ‘‘The Evolving Congress,’’ the project was coordinated and reviewed by Government and Finance Division staff, including Pamela Jackson, Walter J. Oleszek, John Haskell, Michael L. Koempel, Matthew E. Glassman, Jam...

  Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go? | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cbpp.org Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go? | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Updated September 28, 2023 In fiscal year 2023, the federal government is estimated to spend $6.3 trillion, amounting to 24.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Of that $6.3 trillion, over $4.8 trillion is estimated to be financed by federal revenues. The remaining amount will be financed by net borrowing. As the chart below shows, three major areas of spending make up the majority of the budget: Social Security : In 2023, 21 percent of the budget, or $1.4 trillion, will be paid for So...