Final answer:
Federal spending has grown significantly, but the U.S. government does not control a particularly large share of the economy relative to other countries. Education spending is higher at the state and local levels; defense spending has not increased as a share of GDP to the highest level ever; the Necessary and Proper Clause has expanded national government powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the governance and fiscal policies at different levels of governments in the U.S. Many of the statements posed in the question can be addressed with current factual data and historical trends.
The federal spending has indeed grown significantly in recent decades due to various factors including but not limited to inflation, population growth, and increased spending on entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Whereas, when compared to some other countries, the U.S. government does not control an especially large share of the economy. The majority of federal revenue comes from individual income taxes, which is confirmed by data from the Internal Revenue Service. Regarding education spending, it is actually much larger at the state and local levels than at the federal level, as education is primarily a state and local responsibility in the U.S. State and local government spending has also increased in recent decades, particularly in areas such as healthcare and education.
Defense spending, as a share of GDP, is not higher now than ever. In fact, it has decreased since the peaks during World War II and the Cold War. The share of the economy going to federal taxes has fluctuated over time but has not seen a substantial increase overall. Moreover, foreign aid represents a small fraction of the federal budget, far less than many people assume.
The Necessary and Proper Clause of the U.S. Constitution, also known as the Elastic Clause, has not limited but rather expanded the powers of the national government by allowing it to pass laws deemed necessary and proper for executing its constitutionally assigned functions.
Lastly, state and local governments are indeed responsible for approving spending before releasing revenues, and they provide many essential services and programs largely funded through various forms of taxation. They also benefit from federal expenditures in various forms including grants and aid.