Mod 2
For Module 2, my focus was on examining the spending patterns across different categories by all members of the House. Utilizing the dataset spanning from 2015 to 2023 in the House Expenditure Data, I attempted to analyze the financial landscape through the creation of three distinct bar charts. These charts aim to shed light on the various expenditure categories and their corresponding expenses incurred by members of the House over the specified period.
First, I created a chart that shows the average payment per category. Benefits allocated to former personnel stand out as the highest expenditure category, averaging $75,008.29. This suggests a significant portion of government funds is dedicated to supporting retired government workers. Following this, insurance claims and indemnities come in second, with an average payment of $49,873.94. This likely covers various insurance-related expenses and indemnification processes essential for managing risks within government operations. Personnel compensation follows at $12,001.25, representing the costs associated with paying current government employees for their work. Lastly, personnel compensation at $9,442.35 encompasses additional forms of payment, such as bonuses or special allowances.
Next, I created another bar chart illustrating cumulative payments from 2011 to 2023 within the House Expenditure Data which reveals crucial financial trends. Personnel Compensation stands out as the highest expenditure category, exceeding $8 billion, emphasizing the institution’s focus on compensating its workforce. Following closely is Personnel Benefits, surpassing $3 billion, indicating significant investment in employee welfare. These figures underline the institution’s commitment to supporting its personnel. Additionally, Other Services command approximately $1 billion, covering miscellaneous services essential for the institution’s smooth functioning. Rent Communication Utilities amount to over $800 million, essential for day-to-day operations. Investments in Equipment reach approximately $659 million, crucial for operational efficiency. Lastly, Supplies and Materials expenditure nears $308 million, ensuring necessary resources for various house activities. This expenditure breakdown reflects a strategic financial approach, prioritizing personnel compensation and operational needs for sustained efficiency over twelve years.
In the final chart of my analysis, I focused on the count of expenses per category. An intriguing finding surfaced: although benefits to former personnel boasted the highest average payments, this category constituted the least amount of expenses over the entire 12-year period covered by the dataset. Remarkably, expenses linked to benefits to former personnel occurred only 190 times. Conversely, the travel category emerged as the most frequently occurring expense, documented a staggering 1,060,275 times. Despite its prevalence, travel expenses comprised only a modest 1.88% of the total sum of expenses for the House from 2011 to 2023. This revelation sheds light on the disparity between average payments and frequency of expenses across different categories, providing insights into the expenditure patterns within the House over the specified time frame.
The analysis of House expenditure data spanning from 2011 to 2023 revealed intriguing insights into spending patterns. Despite benefits to former personnel having the highest average payments, it surprisingly accounted for the least amount of expenses, occurring only 190 times. Conversely, travel expenses emerged as the most frequent, documented over 1 million times. However, despite its prevalence, travel expenses constituted only a modest 1.88% of the total expenses for the House during the period studied. These findings underscore the importance of considering both average payments and frequency of expenses when analyzing expenditure patterns. Overall, this analysis provides valuable insights into how financial resources are allocated within the House, informing future decision-making processes.
