United States - OECD

1 Government at a Glance 2017. Country Fact sheet United States Government deficit continues to decrease and primary balances are improving faster After extensive fiscal expansion in 2009 drove the government deficit to of GDP, the overall gov- ernment balance has improved significantly, reaching of GDP in 2015, yet remaining higher than the OECD average of of GDP. The primary balance, which excludes net interest payments on government debt, has improved faster though this period, reaching a deficit of of GDP in 2015 after a trough of of GDP in 2009. Chapter 2. Public finance and economics General government fiscal balance as a percentage of GDP. General government primary balance and net interest spending as a percentage of GDP.

2 The regulatory process in the United States is rigorously governed Agencies have to evaluate costs and benefits of all significant regulatory proposals. All stakeholders have a right to comment on all legislative drafts as well as on the analysis that led to their preparation. The Office of Management and Budget oversees the process, the quality of cost and benefits estimates, making sure that all alternative solutions were duly considered. In addition, the process is safeguarded by judicial review. The United States scored , on a range between 0 and 4, on the composite indicator related to stakeholder engagement in developing subordinate regulation, above the OECD average of Chapter 8.

3 Regulatory governance Regulatory Impact Assessment for developing regulations Stakeholder engagement in developing regulations The financial crisis affected disproportionally the labour incomes of the bottom 10%. Even though the financial crisis of 2009 had a deleterious effect over the whole economy, the real labour incomes of the lowest 10% of earners took a particularly strong drop. Between 2008 and 2013, the year for which the latest comparable data is available, the real incomes of workers earning average income decreased by 4% in the USA, while labour incomes of the top 10% decreased by 2%. However, the decrease in real labour income for the lowest 10% fell by 14%. Chapter 13. Core government results Differences in income inequality post-tax and government transfers How to read the figures: Range of OECD country Values have been rounded.

4 Country value in blue Average of OECD countries values in grey refers to (not represented if not available) in red data not available Public Finance and Economics Fiscal balance* Government expenditures Government investment Government gross debt*. (2015) (2015) (2015) (2015, 2016). % of GDP % of GDP % of GDP % of GDP. 100% United States United States 2016 2015. United States 0%. 100% 112%. 2015. 0%. -10% -5% 0% +5% +10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%. Source: OECD Source: OECD. * See Notes National Accounts Source: OECD National Accounts Source: OECD National Accounts * SNA definition, see Notes National Accounts Public Employment General government employment Women in the civil service.

5 Percentage of central government as % of total employment (2015) employees aged 55 years or older (2015). United States United States 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%.. and in senior positions (2015). 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%. G@G /data 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%. Source: OECD (2016) Survey on the Composition of the workforce in Source: OECD (2016) Survey on the Composition of the workforce in Source: OECD National Accounts Central/federal Governments Central/federal Governments Public Sector Compensation Annual compensation across central government positions (2015). Secretarial Senior Middle Managers Senior Managers Positions Professionals (D3 positions) (D1 positions). 2015.

6 USD PPP. United States 450,000. 239,400. 300,000. 231,500. 183,200 26. 134,500. 150,000. 88,700. 52,700. Source: OECD (2016) Survey on the compensation of employees in central / federal governments Human Resource Management Composite indicators on HRM practices in central government (2016). Extent of the use Use of separate Extent of delegation of performance Extent of the use HRM practices Collection of HRM practices assessments of performance for senior of administrative in line ministries in HR decisions related pay civil servants data Composite index 1. from 0 lowest to 1 highest United States 0. Source: OECD (2016) Strategic Human Resources Management Survey Budgeting Regulatory governance Performance budgeting Composite indices on regulatory governance for primary laws*.

7 Practices at the central level (2014). of government (2016). Stakeholder Regulatory Impact 1 engagement in Assessment for Ex post evaluation developing regulations developing regulations of regulations Composite index from 0 lowest to 4 highest 4. 3. Composite index United States from 0 lowest to 1 highest 2. Women in Government 1. 0 0. Source: OECD (2016) Survey of Performance Budgeting * See Notes Source: OECD Indicators of Regulatory Policy and Governance (iREG). Public Procurement General government Strategic public procurement - Objectives procurement expenditures G@G /data (2016). (2015). % of government expenditures Support for green Support for Support for innovative public procurement SMEs goods and services United States United States 11 25 1 0 8 24 0 1 9 19 0 6.

8 Some procuring entities have developed an internal strategy/policy A strategy/policy has been developed at a central level 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% A strategy/policy has been rescinded There has never been a strategy/policy in place Source: OECD National Accounts G@G /data Source: OECD (2016) Survey on Public Procurement Open Data Digital Government OURdata Index: Individuals using the Internet for sending filled Open, Useful, Reusable Government Data forms via public authorities websites (2017) in the past 12 months (2016). Composite index: from 0 lowest to 1 highest United States United States Government support to re-use Data accessibility Data availability 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%. Source: OECD (2017) Survey on Open Government Data Source: OECD, ICT database; and Eurostat, Information Society database Core Government Results Satisfaction and confidence across public services Differences in income inequality pre and post-tax (2016) and government transfers (2013).

9 % of citizens expressing confidence/satisfaction Higher Higher inequality inequality National government ers d tr ans f 30% 42% tax es an nsf ers 100. sa nd tra taxe 80. 60. Lower Lower Police 40. Health care inequality inequality 82% 77% 20. 78% 70% Before After Before After Source: OECD Income Distribution Database Average Limited government powers (2016). Range Judicial system Education system 43% 55% 64% 67% United States 0 1. Source: Gallup World Poll Source: The World Justice Project Notes Fiscal balance as reported in the System of National Accounts (SNA) framework, also referred to as net lending (+) or net borrowing (-) of government, is calculated as total government revenues minus total government expenditures.

10 Regulatory governance indicators: The results for stakeholder engagement and Regulatory Impact Assessment apply exclusively to processes for developing primary laws initiated by the executive. Data is not applicable to the United States , where all primary laws are initiated by Congress. In the majority of countries, most primary laws are initiated by the executive, except for Mexico and Korea, where a higher share of primary laws are initiated by parliament/. congress (respectively and 84%). Government gross debt is reported according to the SNA definition, which differs from the definition applied under the Maastricht Treaty. It is defined as all liabilities that require payment or payments of interest or principal by the debtor to the creditor at a date or dates in the future.