10 charts showing America’s stunning entitlements explosion

1. Although Social Security already existed, the Great Society launched the ever-expanding modern American welfare state:

2. The rate of entitlement growth per capita has been nearly twice as fast as per capita income growth for the last fifty years

3. In the 1960s, the federal government spent $2 on governing for each $1 it spent on entitlement transfers. Today that ratio has completely flipped:

4. It took only two generations for transfers to displace everything else the federal government does.

5. Here’s where the money goes:

6. In 1969, government benefits accounted for 7.8% of Americans’ personal income.

7. In 2009, government benefits accounted for nearly 18% of Americans’ income. And the regions which relied most on benefits in 1969 have become even more dependent.

8. Nearly 50% of the U.S. population lives in a household that receives some government benefits.

9. 31% of US households are receiving means-tested public benefits.

10. As the Welfare State has expanded, Americans are working less.

http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/12/americas-entitlement-epidem...

Yikes! Look at the charts.