1,816 Subsidy Programs Created Under Bush

From the Mercatus Center:

"President Bush added thousands of new federal subsidy programs during his eight years in office. In 2008, there were 1,816 subsidy programs in the federal budget that spread hundreds of billions of dollars annually to special interest groups such as state governments, businesses, nonprofit groups, and individuals. The number of subsidy programs has grown by 30 percent since 2000 and by 54 percent since 1990."

History of American spending here.

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According to the link, and what I learned, that's why the government increased its interventionism in the economy, to avoid mass human suffering.

The critical question is: Did they succeed?

I can only answer personally. My answer is it probably did by setting up various "social safety nets" it can support a person who is temporarily going through turbulence. It's feasible to the extent we expect and trust the person to get back up on their feet.

Beyond that, at what cost? The second one penny goes to a person fully capable of working and contributing, the system becomes compromised; if not immoral. We all "know" some people out there professionally game the system.

I would love to see stats on the waste enabling people through entitlements. We've gone from noble welfare ideals to excessive decrepit self-entitlement.

To do so is to distort the spirit of the philosophy of "my brother's keeper."

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Representing 2/3 of the economy, consumer spending has always been an important component of it.