In 2023, 17% of all federal government spending was for national defense & veterans’ benefits, while 61% was for social programs, 17% was for general government & debt service, 4% was for economic affairs, and 1% was for public order and safety. Politicians, journalists, and activists often paint misleading pictures of federal spending by citing budget figures that exclude all “mandatory” programs, which are mainly social programs. Also, media outlets rarely provide a clear and accurate overview of all government spending. Thus, a 2019 scientific survey of U.S. voters found that 58% falsely believe the federal government spends more money on national defense than on social programs. Voters who believed this falsehood included 33% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats.