National Priorities Project

A Public Policy and Federal Budget Analysis Organization

National Priorities Project (NPP) is a nonprofit research and public education organization focused on federal budget analysis, government spending priorities, and public policy education. Established in 1983, the organization works to make federal budget information more accessible to the public and to analyze how government spending decisions affect communities, industries, and social programs.

The organization currently operates as a project of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a nonprofit public policy research organization.

Core Areas of Focus

National Priorities Project organizes its research and educational work around several major areas of federal policy and spending, including:

• Federal budget analysis
• Military and defense spending
• Taxes and federal revenue
• Healthcare and social programs
• Education funding
• Debt and deficit analysis
• Economic inequality and public investment

The organization emphasizes helping individuals and advocacy groups understand:

• How federal resources are allocated
• The economic impact of government spending decisions
• Trade-offs between different categories of federal expenditures.

Federal Budget Education and Public Accessibility

A central component of the organization’s mission is making the federal budget process easier for non-specialists to understand.

Its materials state that the organization seeks to:

• Translate complex federal budget data into accessible information
• Provide educational tools and visualizations
• Support public participation in budget and policy discussions.

The platform includes resources such as:

• Federal Budget 101 guides
• Interactive calculators and spending visualizations
• Tax receipt analysis tools
• Budget breakdown reports and explainers.

These tools are intended to help users understand how federal tax dollars are distributed across government functions and programs.

Research and Policy Orientation

The organization’s research frequently examines:

• Military and security expenditures
• Domestic social spending
• Public infrastructure investment
• Economic security and inequality.

NPP’s published materials emphasize reallocating federal resources toward:

• Social programs
• Healthcare
• Education
• Climate-related investments
• Community and economic development.

The organization describes its broader mission as promoting “peace, shared prosperity, and economic security” through public engagement with federal budget priorities.

Reports, Data Tools, and Publications

National Priorities Project publishes recurring reports and data-based analyses related to federal spending trends.

Examples include:

• Annual taxpayer receipt analyses
• Budget priority comparisons
• Defense spending reports
• Analyses of presidential budget proposals
• State-by-state spending impact studies.

The organization also maintains:

• Interactive budget tools
• Downloadable research reports
• Articles and blog content focused on fiscal policy and appropriations issues.

Advocacy and Public Engagement Model

Unlike purely academic research institutions, National Priorities Project combines:

• Research and data analysis
• Public education
• Advocacy-oriented engagement.

Its materials state that the organization seeks not only to provide information, but also to encourage civic participation and policy engagement related to federal spending decisions.

This includes supporting:

• Community organizations
• Public awareness campaigns
• Policy advocacy efforts connected to federal budgeting and spending priorities.

Historical Background

The organization was founded during the early 1980s in response to concerns about federal budget reductions and their impact on local communities. Founder Greg Speeter and other organizers initially focused on helping communities understand how federal spending changes affected local economies and public services.

Over time, the organization expanded from local budget analysis into national-level federal budget education and policy research.

In 2017, the organization formally became part of the Institute for Policy Studies while continuing to operate under the National Priorities Project name.

Position Within the Public Policy Research Landscape

National Priorities Project operates within the broader public policy and fiscal research sector alongside:

• Think tanks
• Budget policy institutes
• Government transparency organizations
• Fiscal analysis and advocacy groups.

Its positioning differs from traditional macroeconomic forecasting organizations by focusing heavily on:

• Budget transparency
• Public accessibility
• Spending allocation analysis
• Civic education around federal budgeting.

Mission and Organizational Positioning

The organization describes itself as “the people’s guide to the federal budget” and emphasizes making fiscal policy understandable and actionable for broader public audiences.

Its work combines:

• Federal budget data analysis
• Public policy interpretation
• Educational outreach
• Advocacy-oriented research focused on federal spending priorities.