An initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts from 2008 to 2012, Subsidyscope aims to raise public awareness about the role of federal subsidies in the economy. The project aggregates information on federal spending and subsidies from multiple government sources, serving as a gateway for press, policy makers, advocates and the public. The comprehensive and objective data presented by Subsidyscope will contribute to an informed debate about how to best allocate scarce government resources.
Maintaining its nonpartisan approach to the issue of subsidies, the project is guided by an advisory board of experts in federal spending, taxes and finance from across the ideological spectrum. The Sunlight Foundation, Pew's research and technology partner, originally developed the Subsidyscope Web site.