Comments Elsewhere

Dear LazyWeb: got a research question for you. Recently in a conversation I was offered the following statistic: “We [* sic] spend $1 trillion a year on means-tested transfers.” This may well be true; and this was cited in such a way that it sounds like there’s a fairly standard policy-world white paper announcing the number, but my [citation needed] request didn’t get an answer. So, anyone know what source is likely being tacitly invoked to come up with this number? [* He meant “they,” i.e., the United States government.]