FIGURE 1 DISCRETIONARY AND MANDATORY FEDERAL SPENDING
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US Navy Photo/Alamy
Mandatory spending includes entitlements authorized by law such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, along with interest on the national debt. Mandatory programs do not go through the normal congressional appropriations process and have been growing. Discretionary programs are authorized each year by the appropriations process of Congress and include national defense, transportation, environment, and education. Discretionary spending has been steadily declining as a percent of the budget.