Law · Facts & sources
5 sourced facts about public policy and government policymaking in the United States, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer1935
The Federal Register Act created the publication in 1935; its first issue rolled off the presses on March 16, 1936, and it has been published nearly every weekday since.
Source: Wikipedia, citing the Federal Register Act (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 25%
Gallup's tracking shows congressional approval hovering around one-quarter of the public for decades, occasionally cratering - it hit just 5% during the October 2013 government shutdown.
Source: Wikipedia, citing Gallup polling (2013) en.wikipedia.org
Answer12,281
Officially registered lobbyists numbered 12,281 in 2013, though researchers estimate the real working lobbyist population is far larger once unregistered influence work is counted.
Source: Wikipedia, citing lobbying disclosure data (2013) en.wikipedia.org
Answer$4.37 billion
Health care was the top-spending sector at $867.5 million, followed closely by finance, insurance and real estate.
Source: Wikipedia, citing lobbying disclosure totals (2025) en.wikipedia.org
Answer$3.5 billion
Federal lobbying spending roughly two-and-a-half times over just twelve years, tracking the growth of the influence industry in Washington.
Source: Wikipedia, citing lobbying spending data (2010) en.wikipedia.org