![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx3xDUN-eTiMgTOyucFzYTiBgdfqxr751vPftuhQsPXTW9JoYJzUhwz2Jsj5LnTbdVM5T7hqWioVorrogSJwuZReKD_7La5lI9TTAEK5YqUh450tc7LiRDnEftHaHSfIp0pli6g/s280/bulltrip.jpg)
Looking at the report more closely though, the top-line GDP result would have been much weaker had it not been for a surprise and truly unusual 18.1% surge in national defense spending that, combined with a healthy increases in other federal, state and local government spending, added over 1% of growth.
Fixed investment and personal consumption, on the other hand, provided significant drags on growth with non-residential investment declining -1.0%, residential investment declining -19.1% and personal consumption expenditures declining -3.1% led by a whopping -14.1% drop-off in durable goods.
The following chart shows real residential and non-residential fixed investment versus overall GDP since Q1 2003 (click for larger version).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyIIoxOOxOgJbdciWje6CrkSR-ksPvR4u82DSGmThcufRhXXC9hKAYuQ3QAOZpJIXSnXR7QyFVSP0_VxUIUH6jtnvmXkSvITOAubbxFLcEAr4rdFAV2mx1tCidYa4v0yWlbPEog/s280/gdp03081.jpg)