Woocast's Politics & Polls

In the 1980s, supply-side economics became a rallying cry of conservative politicians. This macroeconomic theory posits that lower taxes and decreased regulation can lead to economic growth, helping everyone on the income ladder as benefits to the rich “trickle down” to those less well-off. Monica Prasad joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this episode to discuss her new book, “Starving the Beast: Ronald Reagan and the Tax Cut Revolution.” Referencing archival documents from the Regan Library in Simi Valley, California, the book investigates President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 supply-side tax cut, offering a new understanding of how it has influenced today’s political landscape and what the true motivators are for the most recent round of tax cuts. Prasad is a professor of sociology and director of graduate studies at Northwestern University. Her previous books include “The Land of Too Much,” “The Politics of Free Markets” and “The New Fiscal Sociology.”