This chart shows the federal outlays by function in the fiscal year 2010. For a detailed interactive chart, please visit: http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/fede...

The federal government spent $3.5 trillion in 2010, and about two-thirds of its spending was in just five areas: Social Security (20.4%), defense (19.27%), Medicare (13.1%), Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance (7.28%), and interest on the national debt (6.31%). A number of hotly debated functions each received less than 1% of spending, including higher education, agriculture, community and regional development, general government and general science, space and technology. Since the government only took in about $2.2 trillion in revenue, that left a $1.3 trillion deficit.