Gosh, we're below average for spending like the Euro socialist weenies. Great argument that. We are a leader, but the quest of liberals is drive us back into the pack.
And just think about that, 1/4 our economy on overhead. Any company that spent that would be long gone. The only reason we survive is government collects it's revenue using guns.
The country is not a company. I'm sorry you guys don't get this.
We have a government to do things that there is no profit in doing, but need to get done, anyway. There's no profit in fire fighting or law enforcement or roads or schools- but a society couldn't operate without them.
That's a reasonable argument if we were discussing give or take a few percents. However, what you are measuring is our spending against ubiquitous nanny State socialist tax and spend endless redistribution of wealth governments. That is why spending is so much higher.