Public Accountability Project — FY2024

What Was Promised.
What Was Funded.
What Actually Changed.

The full federal budget connected to real-world outcomes across every agency. Spending data is live from USAspending.gov. Promise ratings track verifiable outcomes, not press releases.

$6.76T
FY2024 Total Outlays
—
Agencies Live
10
Full Analyses
~35%
Avg. Promises Kept
Section 1 — The Full Picture
Where $6.76 Trillion Goes

FY2024 federal outlays by OMB budget function. All figures from official OMB Historical Tables.

OMB Historical Tables
By FunctionFY2024
Full Breakdown$ Billions · % · YoY
CategoryAmount% TotalYoY
The accountability gap: Of $6.76T in FY2024 outlays, ~$3.6T is mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, interest). The remaining $3.1T in discretionary spending is where appropriations directly connect to promised outcomes — and where tracking has the most power. Net interest alone grew 28% year-over-year, now exceeding defense spending for the first time since 2001.
Section 2 — All Federal Agencies
Live Agency Budget Tracker

Every top-tier federal agency with live budget authority from USAspending.gov. Agencies marked Full Analysis include promise ratings and outcome metrics. Click any to expand.

Loading agencies from USAspending.gov…
Section 3 — The Missing Piece: Outcomes
The Outcome Gap

Across every major sector, the pattern repeats regardless of party or administration: spending increases don't automatically produce the promised outcomes. Here's what the data shows when you connect the budget to real-world results.

🏛️
CORRECTIONS
$44,745/inmate/yr
68% recidivism
unchanged 20 yrs
🏠
HOUSING
$80B HUD / year
770K+ homeless
up 18% since 2020
📚
EDUCATION
$80B K-12 / year
217 NAEP pts
below 2019 levels
🎖️
VETERANS
$322B VA / year
37,252 homeless
34-day MH wait
🏗️
INFRASTRUCTURE
$1.2T BIL passed
~18% complete
4–7 yr delivery lag
🧠
MENTAL HEALTH
$280B Medicaid MH
54% untreated
gap unchanged 10 yrs
Spending Index vs. Outcome Index by Sector 100 = fully meeting stated goal
Spending index: annual outlay as % of stated program goal funding level.
Outcome index: measurable result as % of stated policy target.
Sources: OMB · BJS · BLS · GAO · HUD PIT Count · NAEP · VA OIG.
Corrections: $/Inmate vs. Recidivism by State Hover for detail
Pearson r = −0.12 · No significant correlation · BJS + Vera Institute
The pattern across every sector: Budget authority grows. Press releases announce historic investments. But the outcome metrics — recidivism, homelessness counts, reading scores, wait times, project completion rates — move slowly or not at all. The gap isn't just a funding problem. It's an accountability infrastructure problem: no agency is structurally rewarded for outcomes, only for obligations.
Why the Gap Persists — Structural Causes
⏱️
Incentive Mismatch
Politicians operate on 2–4 year election cycles. Infrastructure takes 7 years. Recidivism reduction takes a decade. Announcements are rewarded; outcomes aren't measured until after the next election.
📊
No Standardized Outcomes
Congress appropriates money but rarely mandates measurable outcome reporting. GAO regularly finds agencies cannot demonstrate whether their programs work.
🏢
Vendor Lock-In
Private contractors are paid per transaction, not per outcome. They lobby to maintain conditions that keep contracts flowing — not to solve the underlying problem.
🔀
Fragmented Delivery
Federal money flows through states, counties, nonprofits, and contractors. By the time it reaches the intended beneficiary, accountability has passed through 4–6 hands.
Section 4 — The Missing Piece: Local Accountability
Your Representatives

Enter your ZIP code to find your House representative and senators with links to their voting records, campaign finance, and contact info.

Section 5 — The Missing Piece: Who Gets the Money
Live Contract Search

Search actual awarded contracts and grants by agency. Live from the USAspending.gov federal award database (FY2024).

Live Award Data
Section 6 — The Missing Piece: Announcement vs. Delivery
From Appropriation to Impact

The gap between a bill signing and a measurable outcome is measured in years, not months. Three landmark funded programs tracked from announcement to real-world delivery.