The Cato Institute has launched a new website, ‘downsizing the federal government’. Its purpose is to help US policymakers and citizens understand where federal funds are being spent and how they could be reformed to reduce the budget deficit.

Currently completed sections include agriculture and energy, both of which have clear overviews of government spending and suggestions for how subsidies could be cut.

Included in the recommendations are the abolishment of all agricultural subsidies, with US$25 billion annual savings for federal taxpayers and cutting all government support for the Department of Energy research activities, with savings of around US$15 billion per year.

The site also features an outline of principles for reform, various charts comparing departments against one another (including the criteria ‘Number of Subsidy Programs’), multimedia and a ‘Downsizing Blog’, which highlights recent studies and news about US budgeting.

Departments yet to be analysed include Defense and Transportation.

For more information, see www.downsizinggovernment.org