Where Your 2011 Federal Income Taxes Went

Here's a delightful way to present data... and you'll find some insights regardless of your political orientation.

One reason this visualization works (unlike our daily work in analytics) is that the data view is up-leveled and segmented. In our daily life we tend to be too down into the weeds, and even then sift through unsegmented data.

PS: Is it not sad that 33% of our budget is spent on military (military +veterans+intl), 15% on interest on debt (!), and our politicians are arguing about contraception and gay rights. On all sides we need people to hold this printout in their hands, show it on a giant screens behind them, and have a better discussion.