Editing Reaganomics (section)

===Size of federal government===
The federal government's share of GDP increased 0.2 percentage points under Reagan, while it decreased 1.5 percentage points during the preceding eight years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=kakV|title=Shares of gross domestic product: Government consumption expenditures and gross investment: Federal|date=April 27, 2018|access-date=June 14, 2018|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614045812/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=kakV|url-status=live}}</ref> The number of federal civilian employees increased 4.2% during Reagan's eight years, compared to 6.5% during the preceding eight years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=kal4|title=All Employees: Government: Federal|date=June 1, 2018|access-date=June 14, 2018|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614045926/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=kal4|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a candidate, Reagan asserted he would shrink government by abolishing the Cabinet-level departments of energy and education. He abolished neither, but elevated veterans affairs from independent agency status to Cabinet-level department status.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/11/us/reagan-would-elevate-va-to-cabinet-level.html|title=Reagan Would Elevate V.A. to Cabinet Level|last=AP|access-date=June 14, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 11, 1987|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614052127/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/11/us/reagan-would-elevate-va-to-cabinet-level.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/1996/11/unplug_the_doe.html|title=Unplug the DOE!|first=Steve|last=Chapman|date=November 28, 1996|access-date=June 14, 2018|journal=Slate|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614050954/http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/1996/11/unplug_the_doe.html|url-status=live}}</ref>