The hottest Government spending Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health Politics Topics

Pentagon Should Focus on Defense Priorities, not Lavish Dinners, After Historic $93.4B “Use-It-or-Lose-It” September

OpenTheBooks Substack • 1111 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. The Pentagon ran a historic end-of-year spending rush — about $93.4 billion in September 2025, with a huge surge in the last days of the fiscal year.
  2. A large share of that money went to nonessential purchases like luxury food, high-end furniture, musical instruments, and rushed IT buys, and included billions spent on foreign-made goods.
  3. Lawmakers should change the one-year spending deadline or allow rollovers so defense leaders can prioritize critical warfighting needs instead of last-minute splurges.

Top Links 1025 Late German Government spending. The Phoebus cartel. The pivot to that Asia has failed.

Chartbook • 472 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🌐 International Government spending
  1. The German government has only now begun the large spending surge it promised in spring 2025, despite earlier talk about it.
  2. The Phoebus cartel is a featured subject, highlighting historical corporate collusion that deliberately shortened product lifespans.
  3. The pivot to Asia is judged to have failed, signaling a major reassessment of policy and strategy toward the region.

Iran: We're Ending Taxpayer-Funded Appeasement

OpenTheBooks Substack • 263 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Taxpayer-funded policies sent large financial benefits to Iran that helped fund its proxies, and that practice must end.
  2. Foreign aid has been disjointed and sometimes funded wasteful or ideologically driven projects, so aid should be more strategic and focused on effective priorities.
  3. Any country receiving U.S. security or economic assistance should publish a real-time, searchable database of government spending so taxpayers can verify use and demand accountability.

Florida Leading the Way on Taxes

Points And Figures • 826 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Florida has moved to eliminate nearly all property taxes, leaving only taxes that fund schools.
  2. High property taxes can be a heavy burden for homeowners, prompting comparisons to paying 'rent to the government' and motivating people to move to lower-tax states.
  3. A State Treasurer candidate supports adopting Florida’s approach, cutting government size and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse to reduce taxes and increase personal freedom.

$3000 Essay Contest on Economic Security

ChinaTalk • 741 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Economic security is a rising bipartisan priority, with both parties backing a more active government role in markets to protect U.S. power and long-term growth.
  2. ChinaTalk is running an essay contest to prompt concrete thinking, asking for high-level KPIs for economic security and proposals for where to invest $10–50 billion, including defensive and offensive ideas.
  3. The contest offers a $3,000 prize pool, features prominent judges, requests 2,500–4,000 word essays, and has a submission deadline of March 1.
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Wealth Taxes Raise Less Revenue Than You Think

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 28 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Wealth taxes will likely raise far less money than proponents claim because of unrealistic assumptions and taxpayer responses like relocation and avoidance.
  2. Even large wealth-tax proposals would cover only a small slice of growing federal deficits and aren’t a reliable way to stabilize long‑term government finances.
  3. Framing big spending around narrow "tax the rich" plans can hide the true trade-offs, since sustaining big social programs usually requires broad-based income or consumption taxes on many people.

Improper Payments Down from Covid-Era Highs But “Confirmed Fraud” Info Missing Amid National Scandal

OpenTheBooks Substack • 265 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Improper payments have fallen from Covid-era peaks but are still very large. Federal spending errors totaled about $186 billion in FY2025, which is higher than FY2024's $161 billion.
  2. Health programs drive most of the problem, with CMS alone accounting for more than half of FY2025's improper payments (about $96.1 billion), and other big agencies like HHS and the Pentagon also showing major losses and fraud.
  3. Transparency and compliance remain weak: the FY2025 report omitted the usual "confirmed fraud" data, many agencies have long histories of noncompliance, and recoveries are limited, although a new law should help stop payments to deceased people.

How municipal bond markets can save Britain

Odds and Ends of History • 1876 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Municipal bonds could help local governments finance infrastructure more effectively. This would give local projects more control and accountability over their spending.
  2. By allowing local authorities to raise funds directly, it would encourage better project management and cost control. Local leaders will be more invested in making projects successful and efficient.
  3. Devolving fiscal powers can reduce reliance on central government and better match local projects with local needs. This means that communities would have more say in their development and investment choices.

Public Money vs Private Money

Points And Figures • 639 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Public money belongs to taxpayers, so its use should be controlled to protect taxpayers' interests and prevent misuse, including restricting transfers out of the country.
  2. When governments or public pension funds invest on behalf of taxpayers, the top priority should be maximizing risk-adjusted returns and meeting liquidity needs, not pursuing DEI/ESG or virtue signaling.
  3. People and private companies can spend or invest their own earned money according to their values, while public companies are accountable to shareholders who expect financial performance.

Public Choice Links, 1/24/2026

In My Tribe • 273 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Higher health-care spending per person often doesn't lead to better health outcomes. That means much medical spending is likely wasted.
  2. Large government health programs create big opportunities for fraud and rent-seeking because third-party billing is easy to exploit. Directly giving money to beneficiaries reduces those opportunities.
  3. Foreign aid can become a target for rent-seeking and help entrench corrupt governments, sometimes contributing to coups and extremist violence. This 'aid curse' shows aid can worsen, not fix, governance failures.

ROI: Return on ICE Investment – What are Taxpayers Getting for their Spending Surge?

OpenTheBooks Substack • 201 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Taxpayers are financing a massive immigration enforcement surge—ICE's budget roughly tripled after a $75 billion push. Removals did not rise proportionally, so the true cost per deportation is unclear and demands transparent ROI data.
  2. Enforcement tactics and staffing raise serious safety and civil‑liberty concerns: officers have been masked, training was shortened to about six weeks, and aggressive raids and detentions have been tied to shootings, illegal detentions, and heavy judicial scrutiny.
  3. DHS spent large sums on advertising and contracts that appear politically linked and sometimes noncompetitive, while economists warn mass deportation could shave about 1% off GDP and cost hundreds of billions; lower‑cost alternatives like self‑deportation stipends are being offered.

The Watchdogs Who Are Building a ‘Moneyball’ for Politics

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 190 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. A new data tool will let people directly compare what politicians say with what they actually spend and do, making it easier to spot gaps between words and actions.
  2. It merges a massive government spending database with an archive of officials’ speeches and interviews, using large datasets to power those comparisons.
  3. The goal is to create a nonpartisan “Moneyball” for politics that better informs public debate and helps hold officials accountable on major policy decisions.

Think America Owes $37 Trillion? It’s Far Worse Than That

Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey • 999 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. The U.S. government's financial obligations are much higher than the commonly cited $37 trillion. When including all liabilities, the total could exceed $151 trillion.
  2. Most of the federal budget now goes toward mandatory spending like Social Security and Medicare, which are facing significant financial issues. These programs are projected to run out of funds as soon as 2033.
  3. Federal debt is rising rapidly and is expected to create a situation where the government has to print more money, which could lead to inflation and economic instability.

Mamdani Botches the Math on Socialist Grocery Stores

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1284 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor, wants to create socialist grocery stores. He claims he can fund these by cutting subsidies to corporate grocery stores.
  2. However, Mamdani seems to misunderstand how much the city currently spends on grocery subsidies. He thinks there’s $140 million available when that may not be true.
  3. His plan relies on money that doesn't actually exist, which raises questions about the feasibility of his grocery store proposal.

Feds Spent $27 Million on Minnesota Somali Community Since FY2021

OpenTheBooks Substack • 177 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
📰 News Government spending
  1. Federal grants totaling about $27 million since FY2021 have funded programs for Minnesota’s Somali community, covering culturally relevant services, education, health research, and food/gardening initiatives.
  2. The University of Minnesota got the largest share (around $14.3 million) for projects like after‑school arts, diversity training, and Autism Spectrum Disorder research that reports higher autism rates among Somali children.
  3. Separate federal investigations have uncovered large welfare and autism‑related Medicaid fraud involving some Somali community members, which raises program‑integrity concerns even though researchers say their surveillance data can’t determine the fraud’s effect on prevalence estimates.

Solving America's Debt Crisis

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 2194 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. The U.S. is facing a serious debt crisis, with over $36 trillion in debt. This situation is dangerous and could lead to major economic problems if not addressed soon.
  2. The national debt has grown dramatically due to various factors like wars, tax cuts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s now out of control and not sustainable.
  3. A proposed solution, the Chicago Plan, suggests that the government should only issue money without debt. This could help eliminate most of the national debt and create a more stable economy.

The Tariff Game

Points And Figures • 1918 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Tariffs are often more about politics than economics, and many believe they don't help growth. They're seen as special favors rather than economic tools.
  2. While tariffs can raise prices, their real impact on the economy isn't as severe as some think. They could even lead to slower growth, which might help reduce inflation.
  3. There are concerns that government job cuts could hurt people who lack skills for other jobs. However, adapting and reinventing oneself is crucial, as others have had to do in tough situations.

$10 Trillion Stolen Right Under Our Noses

COVID Reason • 1784 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. Over $10 trillion was spent on the COVID-19 pandemic, with $6 trillion from CARES Act and $4 trillion from Biden's administration.
  2. Money was stolen through fraud and embezzlement during COVID relief, with the effects leading to inflation and societal wealth disparity.
  3. The spending spree due to the pandemic led to significant financial losses, missed opportunities, and wealth redistribution, impacting many aspects of people's lives.

The U.S. Debt Binge will end with a 2-tier health care system

In My Tribe • 561 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. There is a possibility of big tax increases in the U.S. to manage the rising debt. This could mean people will need to pay a lot more in taxes than they do now.
  2. Health care might start being divided into two levels: basic and luxury care. Many older people might have to pay out of their own pockets for better medical services.
  3. Medicare could cut down on what it covers, making it harder for people to get certain medical treatments. This could lead to a situation where only the basic care is affordable without extra costs.

They So Want To Be Heroes

Points And Figures • 1359 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. To be a true hero, you need to fight for a good cause based on strong principles. It's not enough just to act; your actions need to be rooted in what is right.
  2. Many people today think they are being heroic but are actually harming society. For example, defending illegal immigration or certain changes in sports can lead to bigger problems.
  3. Wasteful government spending is not an act of heroism. Many politicians defend this spending while enriching themselves instead of helping the citizens.

GDP: Six Years of Zero Growth

Japan Economy Watch • 199 implied HN points • 16 May 24
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. Japanese GDP has experienced zero growth in the past six years, with household consumption and business investment showing no positive change.
  2. Government spending hikes have prevented a worse decline in GDP, increasing by 8% from 2018.
  3. Despite a significant depreciation of the yen, exports have only increased by 4% over six years, indicating modest growth.

Central Bankers Blaming the Victims

cryptoeconomy • 884 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. Central bankers are blaming people for inflation to divert attention from their own actions
  2. The 'Greedflation' narrative sets the masses against each other while the elite benefits
  3. Inflation is being driven by government greed and printing of trillions, impacting the public negatively

American water is too clean

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 28 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Government spending
  1. Since the 1970s the federal government centralized water regulation, removing local control and imposing stringent standards that have driven up utility costs and household water bills.
  2. Many recent EPA rules force expensive infrastructure projects and hookup moratoria while delivering little measurable health benefit, saddling cities with debt and limiting housing and growth.
  3. A smarter approach is to let local communities balance costs and benefits, use market tools like trading or better pricing, and target cheaper fixes (for example reducing agricultural runoff) rather than chasing near‑zero risk at any cost.

Austerity for Fertility

Bet On It • 301 implied HN points • 21 Aug 25
🚌 Education Government spending
  1. Lower birth rates are a big concern, and some economists now think we need policies to raise them. They believe reducing government spending on education could help with this issue.
  2. Educational austerity suggests that cutting funding for non-STEM majors may lead to women finishing their studies sooner and starting families earlier.
  3. The idea is not about opposing education but rather focusing financial support on areas that might boost birth rates while reducing wasteful spending.

The Trump EO on Grant Payments

Points And Figures • 959 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Many states and cities are worried about funding due to Trump's Executive Order on grant payments. They are concerned about how they will manage their budgets.
  2. A lot of government money goes to projects that might not be necessary or useful. There's a big issue with wasteful spending, which affects those who genuinely need support.
  3. Startups, especially in the medical field, are worried about losing funding because of this order. It makes it harder for them to develop new treatments and grow their businesses.

3 Ways out of our "Fiscal Death Spiral."

cryptoeconomy • 707 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. There are 3 ways to escape the fiscal crisis: reduce spending, raise taxes heavily, or resort to printing more money.
  2. The increasing debt and interest payments are approaching unsustainable levels, potentially leading to historic inflation rates.
  3. Regardless of the chosen path, the final destination seems to be inflation as the most likely outcome of the fiscal crisis.

​ GDP=C+G+I+NX

Points And Figures • 772 implied HN points • 04 Mar 25
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. GDP is an important measure of how well an economy is doing. When GDP goes up, it usually means people are earning more and living better.
  2. Different economists have different views on government spending. Classical economists often see it as a negative thing for the economy, while Keynesians believe it can be beneficial.
  3. Current economic uncertainty affects business investment decisions, making it tough for the economy to grow. However, there are signs of recovery, like increased merger activity.

2024 Predictions

The Dollar Endgame • 359 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. The Federal Reserve is likely to start cutting rates by Q2 or Q3 and possibly implement quantitative easing, based on recent signals and market predictions.
  2. There is an anticipation that the Fed will eventually restart quantitative easing due to factors like high deficits and pressure from the Monetary Black Hole, impacting financial markets and assets.
  3. Inflation is expected to return in the near future as liquidity programs kick in, fiscal deficits grow, and government spending increases, potentially leading to economic challenges and a recession.

X Is A Bully Whip

Points And Figures • 932 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. The recent failure of a big spending bill in Congress shows that there's a shift in how people view government spending. Many believe it's time to cut spending and start fresh.
  2. Social media platforms like X are giving people a way to hold Congress accountable. Now, politicians can't hide their actions as easily and are feeling pressure from their voters.
  3. There's a call for more transparency and accountability in Congress, like linking spending bills to the responsible lawmakers. Some even suggest changing how Congress members are paid based on their budget cuts.

Debt Ceiling Threats Gets Ugly

cryptoeconomy • 609 implied HN points • 13 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Debt ceiling is approaching, and the government is trying to scare voters with extreme consequences like starving schoolchildren and financial market defaults.
  2. Negotiations involve significant spending cuts, particularly from rolling back spending to last year's level and applying a 1% annual cap for the next 10 years.
  3. If government spending reduces by roughly 50%, it could lead to a surplus to pay down debt, suggesting a need to cut unconstitutional and unnecessary programs.

⏩💳 How faster growth can offset America's debt problem. Really.

Faster, Please! • 913 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Faster economic growth can help reduce America's huge debt. If the economy grows by 3-5% each year, it can balance out the debt problems.
  2. Reforming big entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare is essential. Doing so can both lower future spending and make these programs work better.
  3. While some people are skeptical about economic growth solving debt issues, it shouldn't be completely dismissed. A stronger economy can really aid in cutting down debt over time.

Strategic Funds

Points And Figures • 692 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. The idea of a Strategic Wealth Fund (SWF) and a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) is seen as bad because they could go against individual freedoms and lead to misuse of taxpayer money.
  2. Government can't truly invest money; it can only spend what it collects from taxes or borrows. This means investments made by the government aren't genuine investments.
  3. Bitcoin is still mostly potential and hasn't proven its real-world value. Critics argue that despite years of development, it lacks practical uses in everyday life.

An Open Letter To Bill Maher

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 77 implied HN points • 09 Nov 25
💰 Finance Government spending
  1. The gap between rich and poor is getting bigger, which is a major problem that many people are angry about.
  2. Inflation is caused by poor choices in monetary policy, and both political parties share the blame for not fixing this issue.
  3. If we don't address these problems, we could face a serious crisis in the economy or a social revolt from those feeling left behind.

Tax Breaks for the Rich

Fake Noûs • 572 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. The current tax system in the U.S. is very progressive, meaning the rich pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes, but some believe it's still not fair for the wealthy.
  2. There are different arguments about how taxes should be distributed, like paying based on ability, benefits received, or costs incurred, but many don't support the idea of higher tax rates for the rich.
  3. Some argue that high taxes on the rich hurt economic growth by discouraging investment and productivity, suggesting that everyone, including the middle class, should contribute to taxes more fairly.

How the national debt will play out

In My Tribe • 774 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Ignoring the national debt can lead to a sudden financial crisis. When people lose confidence, the government might face high interest rates quickly.
  2. Government spending is heavily tied to mandatory benefits like Social Security and Medicare, meaning cuts alone might not solve the debt issue. A lot of tax revenue will go just to paying interest on the debt.
  3. If a crisis happens, it could create intense political conflict over cuts to benefits, increased taxes, and how to handle debt. A balanced budget amendment could help avoid this but may be too late now.

The Beveridge curve and cultural evolution

America in Crisis • 99 implied HN points • 16 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government spending
  1. Beveridge curves show the relationship between job vacancies and unemployment rates, highlighting changes in the labor market over time.
  2. Economic policies, such as tax laws and deficit spending, can impact factors like wages and inflation, influencing the overall economic environment.
  3. Cultural evolution in business practices is influenced by economic conditions and government policies, shaping the economy and labor market dynamics.