The thing is, the most common spending that they attempt to cut is spending that has multiplier effects on the economy, because it's giving money (whether directly or indirectly) to the poorest people.
Really? Please provide a decline in net dollars (excluding projected drawdowns) that demonstrates this point.
On a dollar-by-dollar basis, regardless of economic station, _every_ American has seen a combined discretionary + non-discretionary increase in benefits since 1980. The group that is less advantaged is the upper-middle class, which has seen relative stagnation.
