U.S. Federal Expenditure Per Capita from 1792 to 2004
by Thomas A. Garrett / Cabinet Office
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Description
Real federal government expenditures per capita in 2000 dollars, tracking from $30 per person in the early years of the United States to $7,100 per capita in 2004. The data, compiled by author Thomas A. Garrett, illustrates dramatic non-linear growth over more than two centuries, with significant increases noted in the 1910s and later periods. The dataset supports analysis of government size theories, including citizen-over-state and state-over-citizen perspectives discussed in public choice literature.
Use Cases
Modeling long-term government expenditure trends based on the per capita time series from 1792 to 2004.
Testing public choice theories of government size and growth referenced in the description.
Analyzing the relationship between constitutional amendments, like the 16th, and government growth timing as discussed in the paper.
Comparing expenditure levels across historical periods, such as the 1910s versus 2004, to quantify growth rates.
Strengths
Covers a long temporal range from 1792 to 2004.
Provides specific expenditure figures, such as $30 per capita in early years and $7,100 in 2004.
Data is tied to a specific academic paper and author, providing context.
Limitations
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.