![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MV-C_kciI1UY14kCBU2vB7KNC4XPwuZN0wNR3HeGiUVODLcmxB44KJf9GJ0OMoUIV-FhCC9CaBxZjuB87AwqjXDMEzpOyk9zAyx8S3wrRap0TH2fsyEXkQyeQn3ptPEP-T1S8A/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 18.0% 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 -1.5%, residential investment declining -17.6% and personal consumption expenditures declining -3.7% led by a whopping -15.2% 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/AVvXsEibkQ6R6uExho2pvJsbp_DJj42ikVcwze3TgpVmeBmHEttsZx7bViUpNQtCPAi8hSiK4RHyYryhNIUMsw6cWVwMf4n59-iZR_vEHBlVmVOa-eUYr_Bc8lx8C82-BbXOV6RcRlwo7Q/s280/gdp03082.jpg)