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Show Utah Foundation reports: ) Government spending in U.S. totals $2,939 per capita Expenditures by Federal, state and local government units throughout the United States in fiscal 1976 totaled $626. 1 billion. According to an analysis prepared by Utah Foundation, the private research re-search organization, this figures fig-ures out to be $2,929 for every man, woman, and child residing in the nation that year. The Foundation study shows that governmental expenditures ex-penditures have risen dramatically dramat-ically over the past quarter century and that the rate of increase in such government spending has accelerated since 1965. Part of this acceleration is accounted for by the higher rate of inflation experienced in recent years, but part is due to the proliferation and expansion expan-sion of new government programs. According to the Foundation Founda-tion report, the Federal Government accounted for S391.1 billion, or 62.5 of all government spending in the U. S. last year. Approximately $69.1 billion of this Federal expenditure total, hwoever, represents grants and aid distributed to other governmental govern-mental units. Direct expenditures expendi-tures by the Federal Government, Govern-ment, therefore, were equal to $322 billion, or 51.4 of all spending by governmental units last year. Direct expenditures expendi-tures by state governments totaled $124.1 billion (19.8 of the total), while local govedrnments were responsible responsi-ble for $180.0 billion (28.7) of all direct government spending during 1976. Education has surpassed national defense as the leading area of government spending in the United States. The Foundation report shows that during the 1976 fiscal year educational expenditures in the U. S. totaled $106.3 billion, compared with expenditures of $100.4 billion for national defense and international relations. rela-tions. Other major expenditure items include social security (old age, survivors, disability, and health insurance) - $88.3 billion, public welfare - $45.1 billion, and interest on the general debt - $39.6 billion. Total revenue received by all governmental units in the United States last year amounted am-ounted to $572,615,000,000. This sum was approximately $53.5 billion less than the expenditure total. All of this deficit was accounted for by Federal Government operations. opera-tions. The invidual income tax is the leading source of government govern-ment revenue in the United States. Last year, it accounted for $156.2 billion, or 27.73 of all revenue received. Other important revenue sources include social security taxes -$80.3 billion (14.0 of the revenue total), sales and gross receipts taxes - $76.3 billion (13.3), property taxes -$57.0 billion (10.0), and corporate income taxes - $48.7 billion (8.5). Foundation analysts point out that persistent deficits have resulted in a growing government debt. At the close of the 1975-1976 fiscal year, the total direct debt of all government units in the U. S. was listed at $871.4 billion. This compares with an outstanding out-standing debt of $514.5 billion at the end of 1970, $364.0 billion at the close of 1960, $281.5 billion at the end of 1950, and S63.3 billion at the close of 1940. These direct figures do not include contingent contin-gent or future obligations for under-funded government re- tirement programs, guarao- teed loans, etc. Some author- ' ities have placed the total"-" " current and contingent liabil-V ities of the Federal Govern- x ment alone in excess of $7.5 V-v trillion. ' - |