I realize running our money through the Government to be spent is inefficient due to their huge overhead. Also when the government finally spends what is left they get the least bang for our buck.

I've searched but can't seem to come up with the right search term to find it. My question is about the cost of administering the money, overhead so to speak. Is there any data on just what it is as an average? In other words of every $100 earmarked for say education how much makes it to teachers and schools, HUD how much makes it to projects, homes etc., Medicare and Medicade how much makes it to the doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, in relation to how much is spent on the administration of said money?

Maybe a place to start. I don’t think this is the total. Compensation + benefits only.

“The federal government employs 2.1 million civilian workers in hundreds of agencies at offices across the nation.1 The federal workforce imposes a substantial burden on America’s taxpayers. In 2017 wages and benefits for executive branch civilian workers cost $276 billion.”

Other operating costs for electricity, travel, etc would add on to this cost.

https://www.downsizinggovernme...g/federal-worker-pay

Another way to look at it, in rough terms:

300 million citizens, 2.1 million feds, is roughly 298/2 = 149 non gov employees per gov employee. Assuming half the population actually works, about 75 people pay for the salary and benefits of each federal employee. Thus for every 75 of us there is a fed worker to manage our lives.

Add on state and local government administrative employees, we pay lots of money to have people manage our lives. And we are a “free country”.

quote:

“free country”

You mean free range tax farm.

Here is some testimony from a year ago that addresses the question somewhat.

CBO Testimony on Administrative Costs

Thank you Jimineer and sailor just what I was looking for.