Final answer:
The largest part of an executive state budget typically goes to health care, followed by education. At the federal level, the major spending areas vary slightly, including national defense, Social Security, healthcare, and interest on the debt.
Step-by-step explanation:
The state program area that consumes the largest part of the executive budget is typically health care, which on average accounts for 36% of state spending. It's followed by education, which constitutes roughly 19% of a state's expenditures. At the federal level, major spending categories often include national defense, Social Security, healthcare, and interest payments on the debt, which combined can make up about 60% to 73% of the federal budget, depending on the year of reference.
State and local spending combined, on the other hand, is more focused on education, which sometimes accounts for about one-third of the total spending. Unlike the federal government, states (except Vermont) are usually required to balance their budgets. Therefore, they must adjust taxes, spending, or use savings to close any gaps between revenues and expenditures.