How has the size of government changed? To help answer this question we recorded the U.S. federal

Question:

How has the size of government changed? To help answer this question we recorded the U.S. federal budget receipts and outlays (billions of current dollars) for the years 1980 to 2011.

a. Use a graphical technique to describe the receipts and outlays of the annual U.S. federal government budgets since 1980.

b. Calculate the difference between receipts and outlays. If the difference is positive the result is a surplus; if the difference is negative the results if a deficit. Graph the surplus/deficit variable and describe theresults.