Budget Matters Blog


Did Federal Aid Influence Election Results?

In the recent presidential election, were people who receive federal aid more likely to vote for President Obama? Were the wealthy more likely to vote for Mitt Romney? The Daily Beast, with an assist from NPP's Federal Priorities Database, has the answer.


Tweets From the Second Presidential Debate

Once again, NPP contributed facts about the budget, taxes, and federal spending to the Presidential Debate conversation happening on Twitter. Here are some of our most popular tweets.


Where Are We Now: Congress, the Elections, and the Lame Duck

The Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year passed quietly this year, as Congress recessed in mid-September so House and Senate members could return to their districts to campaign before the critical November elections. Members plan to return to Washington in mid-November for a “lame duck” session of Congress, during which there will be pressure to address a number of major issues.


NPP's Top 5 Debate Tweets

NPP's research team live-tweeted and fact-checked the first debate of the 2012 Presidential Election. If you missed, here are our top 5 tweets.


Voting for the First Time

I used to be oblivious to the inner workings of my pay stub, and how the taxes I pay are used by the federal government. As a recent high school graduate, working two jobs and preparing for college, reading A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget has been a real eye-opener. As I prepare to vote for the first time this fall, and enter into college as a political science major, I am more aware of how seemingly concrete numbers can be twisted around to aid different points of view.


Voter Guide: Democrats on the Federal Budget

Last week, on the heels of the Republican convention, my colleague Chris Hellman wrote here about the Republican Party platform and its implications for the federal budget. With the Democratic convention in Charlotte behind us, let's check out the Democratic platform approved by the party last week.


The Top 6 Questions to Ask Candidates

This election season, National Priorities Project is launching a suite of materials to arm voters with crucial information about what's at stake in November. And part of being informed is knowing what questions to ask candidates. Here are the top six things to ask your congressional candidates about where they ...

Heading West to Colorado

What kind of country do you want to live in? That's a question I'll be asking Colorado residents on Sept. 4th and 5th when I have the honor of speaking at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver and the Boulder Book Store in downtown Boulder. We'll be talking about A People's Guide to the Federal Budget and how our elected officials are faced with decisions that will shape this country for years to come.


Ryan Pick Solidifies Competing Visions in Federal Budget Debate

If there was ever any doubt that the U.S. federal budget would claim center-stage in the 2012 presidential race, it vanished with Mitt Romney's selection of House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee. Although Mitt Romney has emphasized he will run on a Romney budget, ...


A New Way to Cast Your Vote

If we want to have a say in how our tax dollars are spent, we need to have a say in who represents us. Fortunately, we do have a say in who represents us – in theory, at least. In practice, a majority of Americans of voting age don’t have any role in determining their representation. According to the Census Bureau, just 37 percent of eligible voters actually voted in the 2010 midterm elections. Frankly, that stinks.