Future stimulus package

[GoldenBoy812]

government spending is part of the formula for GDP


The formula for GDP is:

* GDP = C + I + G + (Ex - Im)

EconoTalk

Gross Domestic Product is the sum of all spending on goods and services in a nation's economy in a year. The formula for GDP is: GDP = C + I + G + (Ex - Im), where â??Câ?� equals spending by consumers, â??Iâ?� equals investment by businesses, â??Gâ?� equals government spending and â??(Ex - Im)â?� equals net exports, that is, the value of exports minus imports. Net exports may be negative.

Subsidies are transfer payments to assist industries that benefit the public, but might not survive or remain stable if operated for profit without subsidies. Farm products and rail transportation are subsidized in most modern economies.

The parts of the formula are simple:

* C = total spending by consumers
* I = total investment (spending on goods and services) by businesses
* G = total spending by government (federal, state, and local)
* (Ex - Im) = net exports (exports - imports)

Very good! But the stimulus we are talking about takes place as an increase in federal government spending, that is not a perminant fixture of indescretionary spending. In simple terms, i am talking about government purchases. To answer your question though, in 2004, the the percentage of the economy that was based on government spending was about 32%.

[maladroit]

WOW 32%...that's a big chunk of GDP to be coming from a government that is charging it's way towards bankruptcy...after this recession plays out, i hope there is going to be some serious belt tightening

as near as i can figger, canada's total federal/provincial/local government spending is about $500 billion, and the GDP is about $1.3 trillion...the usa has 10 times the population of canada so the proportion of total government spending to GDP is about the same even though you guys don't have to plow snow off all your highways for 9 months a year