Americans have become more reliant on government programs than ever before: report

Americans' reliance on government aid is at the highest it's ever been, as it is being driven by programs such as Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

According to the WSJ, in the year 1970, less than one percent of the nation was using government assistance programs, however, by the year 2000, one out of every 10 counties had a significant portion of income coming from the government. Then, by 2022, more than half of all counties in the United States had 25 percent or more of their personal income coming from the government.



This took place as generations aged and became more reliant on those programs that many pay into when they are younger in hopes of drawing out of them when they are older. Costs for America's seniors have risen dramatically, for Medicare as well as Social Security and other programs, as more have applied for the benefits. Additionally, the hollowing out of the manufacturing industry has led to more areas depending on government programs.

The spending on these and other government programs account for one of the largest chunks of federal spending in any given year. In 2023, the major government programs of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid consumed 50 percent of the national spending, and it doesn't show signs of slowing down.

The WSJ reported that both Republican and Democratic platforms, as they stand, do not necessarily rein in spending to curb the US debt. Today, around 22 percent of counties in the US rely on government spending and programs for 25 percent of the county's income, per the outlet.
 

More rural, Republican areas have contributed to the increase in counties using 25 percent more government spending for personal income in the last 20 years. However, Democrat counties using 25 percent or more from government spending for personal income tend to be in populous urban centers, and may cost more in comparison to GOP counties.

This is also due to the increase in the number of seniors, who made up 10 percent of the American population in 1970, but those over 65 make up 17 percent of America today, and people are having fewer kids to pay into the system.