The given graph provides data on U.S government’s expenditure on researching into five different categories, namely health, space, energy, general science and other fields over a period of 28 years since 1980. Overall, it is clear that health research received the most funding, and money for space as well as energy seemed to go upwards.
From 1980 to 2004, U.S government spending on health was significantly high, starting with 6 billions and peaking at 22 billions dollars in 2004, leaving other categories far below with spending of less than 10 billions on each. Funding sources for energy research remained stable with 5 billions for a period of 12 years before reaching 7 billions in 1996 and dropped again. Meanwhile, space and general science shared roughly the same pattern with both received about 2 more billions by 2004.
After 2004, despite being on top of funding priority, research on health saw a sharp decline of money by 6 billions dollars by 2008. Similarly, research on other fields also decreased and met up with general science at 5 billions dollars. Space and energy, in contrast, experienced a slight rise of money, recorded at 7 and nearly 10 billions respectively by the end of the period.