National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Budget Request versus Final Appropriation, Fiscal Years 1966–2014 (Adjusted for Inflation)

The NEH—the principal federal agency supporting projects in the humanities—prospered from the late 1960s to 1979, before funding fell sharply in the 1980s, and again in 1995. Since that time, appropriations have been relatively flat. After a slight surge in funding that peaked in 2010, funds have fallen again in recent years due to inflation and cuts in appropriations, bringing the agency’s resources down to $146 million in 2014.