Taxes are due on April 15 – right around the corner – though few Americans know where their taxes actually go. So NPP is launching Tax Day 2013 – a suite of materials, including this chart that shows how Washington spent every one of your income tax dollars in 2012.

And get this:

We'll write you a personalized tax receipt

You can share the average taxpayer's receipt on Facebook and Twitter

Four Ways to Take Action

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said further deficit reduction must come from health care programs

Photo by Gage Skidmore/ flickr

When lawmakers struck a fiscal cliff deal on New Year's Day, they did not make any changes to Medicare or Social Security. But the debate over if and how to reform entitlement programs has only just begun.

To understand this issue, we should define a couple key terms. First, entitlement programs have their name because eligible Americans by law are entitled to benefits from Medicare, Social Security, and a handful of other programs in this category. Entitlement reform refers ...

One of the major issues not addressed as part of the recent deal on the fiscal cliff is the future of the major entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.Entitlements are programs that pay benefits to anyone who applies for them and meets the eligibility requirements for that specific program. Social Security and Medicare – the two largest entitlement programs – together account for roughly one third of total federal spending.Many analysts, along with congressional Republicans, consider these programs to be the main contributors to our growing federal debt. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who led GOP negotiators during ...

The White House/ flickr

Last week I wrote a post called Fiscal Cliff Definition, with a simple explanation of the much-hyped, so-called fiscal cliff. (I also suggested that we call it a "fiscal obstacle course" instead of a cliff, because that's a more appropriate metaphor.) The next important question is: What's going to happen?

While it's anyone's guess exactly what deal Congress and the president will agree on, we do know the major components of negotiations happening right now. The final deal will involve some combination of the following:

Spending Cuts

Currently across-the-board spending cuts are ...

Last week we got a call from Ayesha in Houston, Texas. She said she heard Obamacare will be funded through taxes, so she wanted to know how much more she'd have to pay. Here's the scoop.

Only some people will pay higher taxes as a result of Obamacare. Will you be one of them? Here's how to tell. First, if you make more than $200,000 per year (or $250,000 as a married couple), then you should expect to pay additional taxes to fund the health reform law. And second, if you don't have health ...

NPP's research team live-tweeted the first Presidential debate of the 2012 election, injecting budget-related facts into the discussion. The conversation covered a lot of ground, from taxes and deficits to spending on education, healthcare, and the military.

There's plenty of beyond-the-spin facts yet to come, so be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. If Twitter isn't your thing, not to worry–below is our top 5 fact-checking tweets from last night.

1. Is the federal government getting bigger?

Has the size of government grown under @barackobama? bit.ly/DebunkingBudge… #debates

— National Priorities ...

This election season has put a lot of focus on Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly. There’s been less emphasis on Medicaid, the health program for low-income Americans, though both President Obama and Governor Romney would dramatically change Medicaid. Currently Medicaid serves mainly children, the disabled, and senior citizens, including those who require long-term care.

Medicare

President Obama does not propose fundamental change to Medicare. He’s been attacked for cutting $716 billion from the program, though none of those savings come from reduced benefits for seniors. Instead, that number reflects changes to Medicare Advantage, reduced ...

Lila Carpenter is from Belfast, Maine. She's starting her first year at New York University, where she'll be studying political science.

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 ...

This fall we're launching the incredible stories of Americans across the country in a project called Faces of the Budget. National Priorities Project has been gathering the stories of every-day people and how they've been affected by the spending and tax policies of the federal budget. Since all of us are affected by the federal budget in various ways – even if we don’t realize it – everyone has a story to tell.

We'll be sharing the words and stories of regular Americans on Facebook. If you'd like to share your story, please contact us.

Today I ...

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.

Democrats would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for American families making less than $250,000, and allow the tax cuts to expire for taxpayers making more than that amount. Democrats also propose closing tax loopholes and deductions that benefit the wealthiest Americans and the largest corporations. Not surprisingly, these proposals are in ...