Number of Federal Subsidy Programs Is Soaring

The proliferation of special interest spending in the
federal budget in recent years has created much waste and
corruption. Politicians have helped special interests while
helping themselves. But the main problem has not been
that politicians have their hands in the cookie jar; it is that
the cookie jar has grown so large.

There are 1,696 subsidy programs in the federal
budget, which dispense hundreds of billions of dollars
annually to state governments, businesses, nonprofit
groups, and individuals. The number of subsidy programs
is rising rapidly, with a 44 percent increase since 1990.