That’s one of the subheadlines in Chris Edwards‘ latest Cato Institute fiscal bulletin (pdf link here).
It marks a sad milestone: the number of federal subsidy programs now tops 1,800.
By 2008, there were 1,804 different subsidy programs in the federal budget. Hundreds of programs were added this decade?ranging from a $62 billion prescription drug plan to a $1 million anti-drug education grant?and the recent stimulus bill added even more. We are in the midst of the largest federal gold rush since the 1960s.
