Curious How the Government Is Spending Its Money? It's Now Easier Than Ever to Find Out

Since retiring from Microsoft at the age of 57 in 2014, Steve Ballmer has been ambitiously working on a website that would interpret government spending at the federal, state, and local level. USAFacts is the result of that passion project.

According to the website, USAFacts is a not-for-profit and nonpartisan initiative that delivers information about government spending to the general public. The website adds, "We don't make judgments or prescribe specific policies. Whether government money is spent wisely or not, whether our quality of life is improving or getting worse — that's for you to decide."

Despite offering so much information, the database is surprisingly user-friendly. With the click of a button, you can choose to see where funding is coming from or where it is going. Based on your selection, you're then given a simple breakdown. If you wish to see where spending is going, for example, you'll see how much money is being allocated to education, law enforcement, veteran support, and so much more.

Since launching the website in early April, Ballmer has received notable praise. On Twitter, many journalists and news anchors have applauded Ballmer for making such information readily available and accessible in the so-called era of "fake news."