Over the weekend, this chart was widely discussed in the blogosphere.

The Third Way created the chart to clarify many misperceptions about taxes. Persumably if the public was better informed, they would pay their taxes more willingly. They write,

For many Americans, the amount they pay in taxes is larger than any purchase they make during the year, but studies show they know almost nothing about where that money goes to. This contributes to ridiculous beliefs, like the view that 20% of government spending goes to foreign aid, for example. An electorate unschooled in basic budget facts is a major obstacle to controlling the nation’s deficit, not to mention addressing a host of economic and social problems. We suggest that everyone who files a tax return receive a “taxpayer receipt.” This receipt would tell them to the penny what their taxes paid for based on the amount they paid in federal income taxes and FICA.

My main problem with this chart is that is that it doesn't include all tax revenues and expenditures. When you look at all expenditures, including state and local government, a bigger slice goes to education.

I suppose I'm just being nit-picky. Overall, I love the idea about making the public more informed about where their tax money goes.