From 1960 to 2018, government purchases in the United States have shrunk as a percentage of GDP, but transfer payments have expanded greatly.

From 1960 to 2018, the trend in the United States shows that while government purchases as a percentage of GDP have either remained relatively stable or slightly decreased, transfer payments (such as Social Security, Medicare, and other welfare programs) have significantly increased as a share of GDP. This reflects a shift in government spending from direct purchases of goods and services towards more redistributive transfer payments.