The Department of Agriculture administers large farm subsidy programs and runs the food stamp and school lunch programs.

The department will spend $116 billion in 2009, or about $991 for every U.S. household. It employs 96,000 workers and runs 198 different subsidy programs.

The Department of Education provides loans and grants to college students and subsidizes elementary and secondary schools.

The department will spend $78 billion in 2009, or $667 for every U.S. household. It employs 4,100 workers and oversees more than 2,050 pages of regulations.

The Department of Energy oversees nuclear weapons sites, runs electric utilities, and subsidizes conventional and alternative fuels.

The department will spend $29 billion in 2009, or about $248 for every U.S. household. It employs 16,000 workers directly and oversees 100,000 contract workers.