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The US is a welfare state. Its welfare programs consume a larger share of GDP than the welfare programs of Canada or Australia, and is just below Switzerland. The US is spending 19.3% of its GDP on social welfare programs, just behind the UK at 21.5%.

https://i.imgur.com/JQfZ5vi.png

Inflation adjusted per capita income transfers have roughly doubled since 1990, from ~$4,400 to ~$8,600 in 2016.

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So where is all the money going? The UK has a (diminshed) NHS and spends less as a % of GDP.

I suspect that a big part of it is that money is being wasted (the Fed.Gov cannot negotiate drug prices!), and not reaching the intended beneficiaries. My perception is that there is an industrial-welfare complex that diverts the money.

It's going towards cost disease, waste, bureaucracy, nepotism, lawsuits, etc.

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