18 Staggering Charts On The Rise Of Government Dependence
Americans are more dependent on the government than ever, according to the Heritage Foundation.

Heritage's index, which looks at government disbursements from health and welfare to farm subsidies, jumped 8.1 percent in 2011....

Report: Dependence on government up 23 percent under President Obama
President Barack Obama has proved his adeptness at exploiting the vote pump: Dependence on government has increased by 23 percent under his administration, according to the Heritage Foundation 2012 Index of Dependence on Government.

More people than ever before — 67.3 million Americans — depend on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid or other assistance. Consider: The nation committed more than 15 times the resources in 2010 than in 1962 to pay for people who depend on the government. More than 70 percent of the nation’s spending goes to dependence programs, up from 28.3 percent in 1962 and 48.5 percent in 1990. The Index grew 8.1 percent in 2010 alone....