Budget Matters Blog

Entries By Becky Sweger


Post-Election NPP: The 114th Congress and Beyond

No matter who's in office, NPP will continue its pursuit of a transparent, accessible federal budget.


Senate Races, Gubernatorial Races, and State Smart

Election 2014 is almost upon us. "Interest, amuse, and amaze yourselves between campaign commercials" with State Smart.


New Open Federal Spending Data: Week One

One week after launch, NPP presents hard-hitting analysis of the most popular State Smart states.


State Smart: Better Federal Budget Open Data

NPP launches State Smart and ends a dark time for federal spending data.


NPP to U.S. Treasury: Here's Why Spending Data Matters

NPP presented its outside-the-Beltway perspective on federal spending data to the U.S. Treasury Department.


State Smart: Federal Grants to Your State

Today's State Smart preview spotlights federal grants that go directly to state governments and ultimately affect people in our communitites.


State Smart: Income, Business, and Other Taxes in Your State

NPP profiles another State Smart dataset, this time highlighting state federal tax contributions.


State Smart: Cost of Military Contracts, Your State, and the Election

As the first in a series of releases leading up to State Smart, NPP profiles federal contract spending in the states, with a spotlight on the Department of Defense.


Billions of Dollars Missing From Government Spending Website

The Government Accountability Office recently found that $619 billion in federal grants and loans was improperly reported in 2012.


Localizable Federal Budget Data: What Does Your Community Spend on Education, the Iraq War, Foreign Aid, and the Debt?

What’s the cost of the Iraq war to taxpayers in your town? If you could reallocate those tax dollars, what would you buy instead? NPP's easy-to-use, localizable federal budget data can answer these questions and many more.