[pgodzin]

> The fact is the federal government seems to grow and spend without any limit or regard to logic. It doesn't -feel- like much has ever been done to address it.

In terms of "growth", the number of federal civilian government employees has basically never been lower as a percentage of the population.

https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/styles/report_580_h...

[mixmastamyk]

They were moved to being contractors to keep them off the books.

[silisili]

OK, now do spending?

[mjamesaustin]

It's all consumed by the military industrial complex, which no doubt will have a continual budget increase as it does every year regardless of the administration.

[idle_zealot]

Is it not mostly social security and military spending? I.e. not bureaucracy, but what is essentially a savings program and massive wealth transfer to the MIC, neither of which are being affected so far. All this, plus reckless tariffs starting trade wars with the US's closest allies do not inspire confidence that this will have good outcomes.

[nxobject]

As a side note, federal employee salaries themselves (*) account for less than 8% of the federal budget. What that says about the intent of slashing the workforce is beyond me.

(*) https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-government-too-big-ref...