Advancing the FM Vision with Action: Follow the Money with USASpending.gov

The holidays will be on us soon. You may find yourself enjoying a meal among friends and family. And you may hear a comment like, “I don’t understand where my hard-earned tax dollars go.”

Good news: you can direct your uncle or cousin to USASpending.gov.

Consistent with the FM Vision, USASpending.gov makes federal financial data more accessible to the public. USAspending.gov is a one-stop shop for federal spending data, providing the tools you need to access and navigate the budget from top to bottom, even if federal finances aren’t your forte.

Using data collected under the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), we’ve painted a clearer picture of the federal spending landscape. All of it is easy to search and download. For the first time ever, our new Spending Explorer allows you to see how agency financial data connects to award data in a way that's easy (and fun) to explore.

The Spending Explorer gives you a clearer sense of how Congress distributes funding to agencies, and how agencies spend that funding on activities that fulfill their missions. Start by choosing an entry point — Budget Function, Agency, or Object Class — and click through the tree map. This will show you, step by step, the relationship between federal accounts, program activities, object classes and, last but not least, award recipients.

Also, our award search provides you with the ability to search by keyword and an extensive set of filters — time period, award type, agency, and much more — to create your data set. For an even deeper understanding, visit our Profiles — snapshots of the players of federal spending. Agency Profiles offer a quick look into how agencies spend their funding; they’re a great reference if you’re looking for a high-level view of an agency’s spending patterns. Federal Account profiles help you understand how agencies use their funding to carry out programs and projects.

Perhaps your uncle works for the government. Turns out, USASpending.gov is becoming a helpful tool for federal employees as well, particularly those in the federal financial management field. Agencies are now connecting and making sense of their financial data using USASpending.gov.

And for those who’d like to learn more at a customized view, check out the Data Lab. The Data Lab lets users “visualize data” and see how it is being used in various programs that address issues, ranging from homelessness to office supply purchases. The Data Lab allows users to see who works in government, and how often federal agencies compete their contracts. We’re committed to making financial data accessible through transparency and providing the resources you need to understand federal spending. We consistently gather feedback from you (our users) and use it to determine how to improve (and introduce new) functionality. Our goal? To help you get the information you need to complete analyses and craft your own data-driven narratives.

So! Point your uncle to USASpending.gov. And while you’re at it, learn more about the DATA Act and follow the money at USASpending.gov. Then pass the gravy and change the topic to football.

Last modified 11/29/22