How much do Special Interests cost in the Budget Annually?

[Free Bird]

And which ones are the most expensive?

[Sumner 1868]

What do you consider a "special interest?" It's a fairly vague term.

[Deus Naturae]

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/US_fed_spending_pie_chart

Depends what you define as "special interests."

[Free Bird]

Lobbyist interests and such. Is there any way to get rid of those, BTW?

[Deus Naturae]

Lobbyist interests and such. Is there any way to get rid of those, BTW?

Everyone has lobbyists. Every program benefits some interest group.

As for getting rid of them, that (sadly) ain't gonna happen any time soon. It's much easier to lobby for resources for your interest group than to try to get rid of all of the innumerate programs that redistribute resources from you to other interest groups. It's kind of a tragedy of the commons situation. Everyone would be better off if we all took less out of the government pot, but someone is always going to take, so everyone else might as well do the same.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Sadly the budget isn't helpfully divided into sections called 'bad stuff' and 'lovely stuff'.

[SteveRogers]

Trolltastic question, as usual.

[Indy Texas]

The libertarian view would probably be that anything not explicitly authorized by the Constitution is a "special interest" perk.

But, even though something like national defense is a Constitutional function of government, does that mean all the money spent on DoD is legitimate? Highly doubtful.

[The Mikado]

Every interest is a special interest. You could label Social Security a special interest program pandering to the most powerful lobby in Washington, the AARP, but most people are neutral to or positive towards the AARP so it doesn't get framed that way. Also most of us will be old someday.

The AARP is also am example that lobbyist does not equal bad.

Over 80% of the budget goes to one of four things: Social Security, Medicare, Defense, and interest on the debt.

[Türkisblau]

Sadly the budget isn't helpfully divided into sections called 'bad stuff' and 'lovely stuff'.

^^^
What many people who say things like "let's just get rid of our deficit!" don't understand.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The MIC gets several hundred billion.

[Maxwell]

Did it as a gif AND as a video so you get the point.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Every single item in the budget is a special interest to someone.

[Ban my account ffs!]

And which ones are the most expensive?

All of it.  Defense is the biggest.

But srsly defense contractors...

[The Mikado]

And which ones are the most expensive?

All of it.  Defense is the biggest.

But srsly defense contractors...

Given Social Security + Medicare outweighs Defense by a significant amount, I can't see how you can't say the AARP aren't the most expensive Special Interest lobby in Washington by a long shot.

[DrScholl]

Local governments have lobbyists that go to the capitol to lobby on their behalf, so lobbying and special interests are broad terms. Not all special interest groups that send lobbyists ask for money, most are more interested in legislation.

[Ban my account ffs!]

And which ones are the most expensive?

All of it.  Defense is the biggest.

But srsly defense contractors...

Given Social Security + Medicare outweighs Defense by a significant amount, I can't see how you can't say the AARP aren't the most expensive Special Interest lobby in Washington by a long shot.

I wasn't counting entitlements.

[Antonio the Sixth]

the most powerful lobby in Washington, the AARP

Ever heard of the NRA? Or AIPAC?

You have a point that US public policy tends to be very segmented and thus every program caters to a special interest of some kind. That is, this is the result of a particular and deliberate construction of the American State, not an inevitability.

[The Mikado]

the most powerful lobby in Washington, the AARP

Ever heard of the NRA? Or AIPAC?

I think George W. Bush, for one, would attest to the AARP's incredible power, given how his entire second term agenda with a rather large House and Senate majority after his 2004 victory crumbled into dust the second he touched entitlement reform.

AIPAC has a stunning degree of influence for its size, but maintaining the relationship with Israel, the sweetheart defense deals, and the 4 billion annual aid pales in comparison with the clout the AARP has. The NRA has a large degree of success as well, but a lot of that falls on, at least since the expiration of the assault weapons ban, that their entire agenda is basically already in place and all they have to do is play defense.

[Lief 🗽]

We're going to cut social security long before we pass gun control.