[Analytical Perspectives]
[Other Technical Presentations]
[20. Outlays to Public, Net and Gross]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
20. OUTLAYS TO THE PUBLIC, NET AND GROSS
Table 20-1 shows net and gross outlays, and the relationship between
them, for all major agencies. Outlays are the measure of Government
spending. The budget records outlays when the Government makes payment
for such things as Federal employee salaries, the purchase of supplies
and equipment, grants to state and local governments, and benefits to
individuals. The Government's gross outlays are the sum of all these
payments.
The outlay totals in the budget, however whether for the Government
as a whole or for agencies, programs, and functions (such as national
defense) are net outlays, unless otherwise specified. Gross outlays, as
the table shows, are the net outlays plus offsetting collections and
receipts from the public. These constitute the income the Government
receives from its business-like enterprises and other market activities
with the public, such as the proceeds from selling postage stamps, the
fees charged for admittance to recreational areas, and the proceeds from
selling land or natural resources. The budget refers to them as
``offsetting,'' because they are subtracted from gross outlays rather
than added to taxes and other receipts resulting from governmental
activities. The budget focuses on net outlay totals in order to show
outlays and receipts that measure governmental activity rather than a
combination of governmental and market activity. As a result, the budget
totals represent the amount of resources allocated and distributed by
political decision making rather than by private choice and the market
mechanism. The surplus is calculated by subtracting total outlays from
total receipts. It would be the same if offsetting collections and
receipts were included in total receipts and subtracted from gross
outlays. This would hold true if outlays exceeded receipts, resulting in
a deficit.
The table shows that offsetting receipts and collections are
relatively much more important for some agencies than others. The
outlays for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are negative
amounts, because its collections, mostly insurance premiums, currently
exceed its payments. The amounts for ``Allowances'' cover certain
transactions that are expected to increase or decrease outlays but are
not, for various reasons, attributed to any specific agency. The amounts
labeled ``undistributed offsetting receipts'' are deducted from the
Government-wide outlay totals but not from any specific agency. Chapter
4, ``User Fees and Other Collections,'' in this volume discusses
offsetting collections and receipts in more detail.
[[Page 336]]
Table 20-1. TOTAL OUTLAYS, NET AND GROSS OF OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS AND RECEIPTS FROM THE PUBLIC, BY AGENCY, 2000-2002
(In millions of dollars)
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2000 2001 2002
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Offsetting Offsetting Offsetting
Collections Outlays Collections Outlays Collections Outlays
(Department or Other Unit) Net and Gross of Net and Gross of Net and Gross of
Outlays Receipts Collections Outlays Receipts Collections Outlays Receipts Collections
from the from the from the from the from the from the
Public Public Public Public Public Public
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Legislative Branch.................... 2,911 85 2,996 3,086 89 3,175 3,268 93 3,361
Judicial Branch....................... 4,086 52 4,138 4,300 51 4,351 4,856 53 4,909
Executive Branch
Agriculture......................... 75,663 19,415 95,078 69,599 20,115 89,714 63,250 18,787 82,037
Commerce............................ 7,807 1,210 9,017 5,549 1,364 6,913 5,182 1,522 6,704
Defense-Military.................... 281,223 12,144 293,367 283,915 10,953 294,868 303,449 10,707 314,156
Education........................... 33,900 2,606 36,506 36,652 1,421 38,073 45,230 1,240 46,470
Energy.............................. 15,010 5,479 20,489 16,739 5,692 22,431 17,245 6,244 23,489
Health and Human Services........... 382,626 23,962 406,588 430,466 25,616 456,082 468,787 29,247 498,034
Housing and Urban Development....... 30,828 2,967 33,795 37,299 3,370 40,669 34,791 2,799 37,590
Interior............................ 8,029 2,847 10,876 8,687 3,870 12,557 9,275 3,532 12,807
Justice............................. 19,554 2,049 21,603 20,689 2,886 23,575 22,527 3,045 25,572
Labor............................... 31,355 2,280 33,635 38,220 2,351 40,571 42,042 2,613 44,655
State............................... 6,850 590 7,440 9,302 568 9,870 9,700 577 10,277
Transportation...................... 45,964 488 46,452 50,611 413 51,024 54,861 473 55,334
Treasury............................ 391,246 18,112 409,358 388,549 18,517 407,066 381,539 19,284 400,823
Veteran Affairs..................... 47,087 3,746 50,833 45,235 4,324 49,559 51,480 3,146 54,626
Corps of Engineers.................. 4,333 387 4,720 4,571 341 4,912 4,351 396 4,747
Other Defense-Civil Programs........ 32,864 17 32,881 34,400 17 34,417 35,402 17 35,419
Environmental Protection Agency..... 7,238 263 7,501 7,495 232 7,727 7,596 246 7,842
Executive Office of the President... 283 4 287 289 3 292 309 3 312
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 3,142 1,499 4,641 3,145 1,577 4,722 3,216 1,655 4,871
General Services Administration..... 28 297 325 603 287 890 -223 589 366
International Assistance Programs... 12,093 13,228 25,321 11,351 13,247 24,598 12,058 12,835 24,893
National Aeronautics and Space 13,442 846 14,288 13,777 839 14,616 14,248 881 15,129
Administration.....................
National Science Foundation......... 3,487 ........... 3,487 3,967 ........... 3,967 4,359 ........... 4,359
Office of Personnel Management...... 48,660 6,764 55,424 50,978 7,336 58,314 53,351 8,031 61,382
Small Business Administration....... -421 1,298 877 -971 2,683 1,712 687 458 1,145
Social Security Administration...... 441,811 5,110 446,921 463,006 5,345 468,351 488,182 5,624 493,806
Export-Import Bank of the United -743 3,219 2,476 -1,844 3,463 1,619 358 384 742
States.............................
Federal Deposit Insurance -2,837 3,459 622 -718 2,310 1,592 -244 2,361 2,117
Corporation........................
Postal Service...................... 2,129 63,529 65,658 2,689 65,498 68,187 3,205 67,218 70,423
Railroad Retirement Board........... 4,992 24 5,016 5,679 26 5,705 5,184 26 5,210
Other Independent Agencies.......... 7,028 10,012 17,040 -873 9,674 8,801 10,497 10,173 20,670
Allowances............................ .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... 2,351 ........... 2,351
Undistributed Offsetting Receipts..... -172,842 6,082 -166,760 -190,204 8,503 -181,701 -201,805 7,844 -193,961
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Total............................. 1,788,826 214,070 2,002,896 1,856,238 222,981 2,079,219 1,960,564 222,103 2,182,667
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