Government operations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article aims to describe the financial expenditure associated with the operations and processes of world governments of all levels. Data is drawn from annual financial statements and operational reports.
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[edit] External review
Some governments let external analysts review the operations and financials just like Wall Street analysts review public companies. An import element of that review is to hold regular, perhaps quarterly, public conference calls between management and analysts, which are recorded for anyone to hear. This is however so far (2004) a rare occurrence.
[edit] Government-owned corporations
[edit] Services
Government subsidiaries may produce services like:
- Communications
- Education (e.g. community college)
- Emergency services
- Entertainment (e.g. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Entitlements
- Financial services
- Financing
- Fire fighting
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Law
- Law enforcement
- Police
- Postal service
- Transport (e.g. government transportation)
[edit] Goods
Government subsidiaries may produce goods like:
- Coal
- Electrical infrastructure
- Oil (e.g. Pemex)
- Roads, bridges, tunnels
- Sewers
- Steel
- Water infrastructure
[edit] Local government
At the level of local government, territorial or other authorities may set up government corporations such as "Local Authority Trading Enterprises" (LATEs).
[edit] Commonwealth of Nations
See also: crown corporation, state-owned enterprises of New Zealand
In monarchical commonwealth countries country-wide government corporations often use the style "crown corporation". Notable exceptions include both the state-owned enterprises and the crown entities in New Zealand. Examples of crown corporations include the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Canada and Air Canada before it underwent privatisation. Cabinet ministers (ministers of the crown) often control the shares in such public corporations.
[edit] United Kingdom
Main article: Departments of the United Kingdom Government
[edit] United States
Main article: United States government operations
In the United States, businesses that are government owned include Amtrak and the United States Postal Service. Many states have government owned businesses for operations as well. Generally speaking, a statute passed by a legislature specifically sets up a government owned company in order to undertake a specific public purpose with public funds or public property.
[edit] By business
From the US Treasury Financial Statements for the year ended September 30, 2004
[edit] Department of Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture ...
- Expenditures: $84.1 billion
[edit] Department of Defense
The Department of Defense ...
- Expenditures: $672.1 billion
[edit] Department of Education
The Department of Education operates ...
- Expenditures: $63.9 billion
[edit] Department of Health & Human Services
See also: social security (United States)
The Department of Health & Human Services ...
- Expenditures: $583.9 billion
[edit] Department of Justice
The Department of Justice ...
- Expenditures: $35.4 billion
[edit] Office of Personnel Management
The Office of Personnel Management ...
- Expenditures: $22.3 billion
[edit] Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages the United States' social insurance program, consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors benefits.
- Expenditures: $534.9 billion
[edit] U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ...
- Expenditures: $54.0 billion
[edit] By level
During 2003. From [1]
- All
- Expenditures: $3,399.7 billion
- Federal
- Expenditures: $2,241.6 billion
- State and local
- Expenditures: $1,498.1 billion
[edit] Privatization
Main article: privatization
In Japan, Japan Post is partially owned by the government, but is about to get sold to the public during the following years (following 2004). Japan Railway (JR), NTT and Japan Tobacco were formerly owned by the government.
