Policy Brief

Taxpayer’s Guide to the Stimulus

Where is all that stimulus money going?

Reason Foundation’s Taxpayer’s Guide to the Stimulus breaks down each section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to explain just how all that money is being spent, who is spending it, and what the whole stimulus means in layman’s terms.

Introduction
How To Read This Guide

Analysis of Stimulus Spending and Major Provisions

  1. Agriculture
  2. Commerce, Justice, and Science
  3. U.S. Armed Forces
  4. Energy and Water Development
  5. Financial Services and Federal Government
  6. Homeland Security
  7. Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency
  8. Labor and Unemployment Assistance
  9. State Department and Veterans Affairs
  10. Transportation Infrastructure
  11. Housing and Urban Development
  12. Education
  13. Public Health
  14. Tax Cuts and Tax Credits in the Stimulus
  15. General Provisions and Miscellaneous

Conclusion: Bloating the Bureaucracy and the Growth of Government

Spending Charts and Graphs

Overall Financial Crisis, Bailouts, and Stimulus Spending

Resources to Explore the Stimulus Bill

Recovery.gov – The government’s website to track the stimulus
Recovery.org – Keep track of how the stimulus money is actually being spent
ReadTheStimulus.org – Read any part of the stimulus bill yourself
WSJ AccountingThe Wall Street Journal’s assessment of stimulus spending
ProPublica Accounting – ProPublica’s assessment of stimulus spending

More from Reason on Economics, Bailout and Stimulus Research and Commentary