Notes on the present
State of the federal budget:
This is the steepest set of budget cuts since the US came out of WWII.
Is this typical for the US economy coming out of a deep, deep recession. No, unprecedented:
A sharp reduction in spending like this is slowing the recovery. If the US followed the usual course (+15% federal spending, i.e. more stimulus), an extra 2-3 million people would have jobs, and that positive feedback would be pushing the US into a full recovery.
The budget currently on the table in Washington, rejected by the GOP:
More charts covering the federal budget, deficit, health care spending, and related matters.