Social Services Drives 21st Century Spending

“A short-term budgetary link should be established between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and total operational expenditures by agencies.” Policy Foundation Efficiency Project recommendation, 2016

(December 2019) Social services operating expenditures totaled $8.1 billion (FY2017), consuming nearly one-third (32%) of total state spending in this area. Only one other department–Education–topped $1 billion, records show.

1 https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/budgetOffice/fy02_actual_expenditures.pdf

2 FY 2017, https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/budgetOffice/fy2017ActualExpenditures.pdf (Total Op. Expenditures)

3 The agency was called the Department of Workforce Education in FY 2001-02.

4 The Career Education Department did not exist in FY 2001-02.

5 The Agriculture Department did not exist in FY 2001-02. The agency was founded in 2005. https://portal.arkansas.gov/agency/department-of-agriculture/arkansas-agriculture-department/