389:
611:, criticized "starve the beast". According to Niskanen, if deficits finance 20% of government spending, then citizens perceive government services as discounted; services that are popular at 20% off the listed price would be less popular at full price. He hypothesized that higher revenues could constrain spending, and found strong statistical support for that conjecture based on data from 1981 to 2005. Another Cato researcher, Michael New, tested Niskanen's model in different time periods and using a more restrictive definition of spending (non-defense discretionary spending) and arrived at a similar conclusion.
55:
455:
50:
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budget deficit." He wrote that the "beast is starving, as planned" and that "Republicans insist that the deficit must be eliminated, but they're not willing either to raise taxes or to support cuts in any major government programs. And they're not willing to participate in serious bipartisan discussions, either, because that might force them to explain their plan—and there isn't any plan, except to regain power."
730:
683:
that every new dollar of new taxes leads to more than one dollar of new spending according to their research. In an op-ed, they both stated that "he grand bargain so many in
Washington yearn for—tax increases coupled with spending cuts—is a fool's errand" since "higher tax collections never resulted
630:
summarized: "Rather than proposing unpopular spending cuts, Republicans would push through popular tax cuts, with the deliberate intention of worsening the government's fiscal position. Spending cuts could then be sold as a necessity rather than a choice, the only way to eliminate an unsustainable
622:
testified to a U.S. Senate committee in July 2010 that: "My guess is that if
President Bush had announced a new war surtax to pay for Iraq or an increase in the Medicare payroll tax rate to pay for the prescription drug benefit, both initiatives would have been less popular. Given that the
597:
found: " no support for the hypothesis that tax cuts restrain government spending; indeed, suggest that tax cuts may actually increase spending. The results also indicate that the main effect of tax cuts on the government budget is to induce subsequent legislated tax increases."
558:", that 279 Senators and Congressman have signed. The oath states the signatories will never vote to raise taxes on anyone under any circumstances. It is viewed by some of the unsigned as a stumbling block to mutual fiscal negotiations to benefit the country.
581:
suggest that the complicated nature of the U.S. tax system causes fiscal illusion and results in greater public expenditure than would be the case in an idealized system in which everyone is aware in detail of what their share of the costs of government is.
500:
tells us that first we've got to reduce spending before we can reduce taxes. Well, if you've got a kid that's extravagant, you can lecture him all you want to about his extravagance. Or you can cut his allowance and achieve the same end much quicker."
481:: "Let us remember that the basic purpose of any tax cut program in today's environment is to reduce the momentum of expenditure growth by restraining the amount of revenue available and trust that there is a political limit to
623:
prescription drug benefit only passed
Congress by one vote after an extraordinary amount of arm-twisting, it seems unlikely that it would have passed at all if accompanied by a tax increase. Starve the beast doesn't work."
530:] for Congress. And that's good for the taxpayers, and it's incredibly positive news if you're worried about a federal government that has been growing at a dramatic pace over the past eight years and it has been."
661:
is a well-known proponent of the strategy and has famously said, "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
277:
541:, also deferred paying for the larger deficits it would create. It "would most likely be funded by lower government spending on Social Security and Medicare benefits", according to the
194:
292:
388:
155:
375:
287:
267:
638:, former domestic policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan, referred to "starve the beast" as "the most pernicious fiscal doctrine in history", and blames it for the increase in
573:
hypothesis: "It's obvious, borrowing allows spending to be made that will yield immediate political payoffs without the incurring of any immediate political cost." In their book
517:
669:
A related idea known as "Feed the beast", refers to increasing taxes for the purported purpose of balancing the budget only to make the government spend those inflows. Writer
226:
1473:
1079:
524:'s administration were attempts to "starve the beast". Bush said in 2001: "so we have the tax relief plan that now provides a new kind—a fiscal straightjacket [
306:
720:
74:
282:
272:
262:
654:(R-AZ), a veteran of the Senate Finance Committee, stated "you should never have to offset the cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates on Americans."
585:
Empirical evidence shows that Starve the Beast may be counterproductive, with lower taxes actually corresponding to higher spending. An
October 2007 study by
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368:
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1157:"Do Tax Cuts Starve the Beast: The Effect of Tax Changes on Government Spending National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper No. 13548"
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132:
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37:
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694:, who stated that tax increases in the early 1990s helped contribute to more austere budgets in the late 1990s.
555:
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25:
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in a deliberate effort to force it to reduce spending. The term "the beast", in this context, refers to
408:
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337:
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That Used to Be Us: How
America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back
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1405:
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601:
482:
458:
Total tax revenues were calculated as a percentage of GDP for the U.S. in comparison to the
1357:
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The earliest known use of "starve the beast" is in a 1979 newspaper article quoting
1319:
Tax Cuts And 'Starving The Beast' – The most pernicious fiscal doctrine in history.
627:
1182:"26(3):553–558, Fall 2006 Limiting Government: The Failure of "Starve the Beast""
718:
508:
city councilman Jerry
Wilhelm at a tax forum sponsored by the Libertarian Party.
788:
684:
in less spending". Their conclusions have been disputed by economist and writer
590:
396:
985:
760:
959:"Mallaby, Sebastian. Don't Feed the Beast: Bush Should End This Tax-cut Myth"
342:
496:
foreshadowed the strategy during the 1980 US Presidential debates, saying "
427:
and the programs it funds, primarily with
American tax money, particularly
538:
448:
738:
was created from a revision of this article dated 13 June 2024
651:
416:
1322:
1034:"Congress Gets 5,593-Page Text of Relief Bill Hours Ahead of Vote"
463:
453:
387:
459:
526:
716:
1243:
New, Michael J. "Starve the Beast: A Further
Examination",
1130:
Democracy in
Deficit: The Political Legacy of Lord Keynes
1012:"President Announces Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff"
1014:. Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. August 24, 2001
569:, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, helped develop the
399:, outlining his plan for tax reductions in July 1981.
16:
Political strategy utilized by
American conservatives
1155:Christina D. Romer, David H. Romer (October 2007).
1127:
1258:"Senate Testimony of Professor Leonard E. Berman"
877:
875:
1401:Starve the Beast: Just Bull, not Good Economics
1126:Buchanan, James M.; Wagner, Richard E. (1977).
1080:"The Pledge: Grover Norquist's hold on the GOP"
1062:"Thompson Unveils Plan For Voluntary Flat Tax"
854:"Origins and Development of a Budget Metaphor"
729:
369:
8:
520:and deficit spending of former US President
1219:"The true test of the tea parties' mettle"
376:
362:
18:
1474:Government finances in the United States
1334:Thomas L. Friedman, Michael Mandelbaum:
746:, and does not reflect subsequent edits.
1428:"Higher Taxes Won't Reduce the Deficit"
818:
779:Financial position of the United States
470:On July 14, 1978, economist and future
419:, to deprive the federal government of
36:
1380:"Article | The American Prospect"
1105:. Memphis: P. K. Steidman Foundation.
407:" is a political strategy employed by
920:. Pralmeida.tripod.com. April 1, 2004
833:. Pralmeida.tripod.com. April 1, 2004
7:
595:National Bureau of Economic Research
425:the United States federal government
1469:Tax resistance in the United States
1289:Krugman, Paul (February 21, 2010).
1103:Dehe Deficit and American Democracy
941:"Tax Cuts And 'Starving The Beast'"
395:gives a televised address from the
784:National debt of the United States
533:Republican presidential candidate
14:
1499:Conservatism in the United States
1217:Ezra Klein (September 18, 2010).
1060:Schatz, Amy (November 26, 2007).
965:. Washingtonpost.com. May 8, 2006
804:Wanniski's Two Santa Claus Theory
554:authored an oath, the so-called "
537:'s tax-cut plan, incorporating a
888:Minnesota Council on Foundations
852:Bartlett, Bruce (July 2, 2007).
763:
728:
53:
48:
1489:American political catchphrases
1291:"Opinion - The Bankruptcy Boys"
1263:. July 14, 2010. Archived from
984:Hemphill, Jenda (11 Apr 1979).
939:Bartlett, Bruce (May 7, 2010).
1382:. Prospect.org. March 15, 2005
882:Lindberg, Mark (Spring 2007).
307:2023 Removal of Kevin McCarthy
1:
1484:United States federal budgets
1479:Taxation in the United States
799:Taxation in the United States
1247:, 29(3): 487–495, Fall 2009.
1134:. New York: Academic Press.
1338:. Macmillan, 2012. p. 170.
1101:Buchanan, James M. (1984).
604:, chairman emeritus of the
1515:
884:"Foundations Have a Stake"
556:Taxpayer Protection Pledge
220:2007–2008 financial crisis
992:. Petaluma, CA. p. 6
914:"Europe's Welfare States"
890:. Mcf.org. Archived from
827:"Europe's Welfare States"
251:2013 budget sequestration
156:Bowles–Simpson Commission
1068:– via www.wsj.com.
479:Senate Finance Committee
472:Federal Reserve chairman
212:Subprime mortgage crisis
41:United States of America
24:This article is part of
1464:Economics catchphrases
858:The Independent Review
724:
704:Listen to this article
506:Santa Rosa, California
467:
409:American conservatives
400:
200:Social Security debate
39:Budget and debt in the
1426:(November 21, 2010).
1090:on November 21, 2011.
723:
577:(1977), Buchanan and
490:election as President
457:
391:
348:Continuing resolution
1360:on November 20, 2004
1350:"Starving the Beast"
1225:. Washingtonpost.com
986:"Fed Up With Taxes?"
755:More spoken articles
677:have written in the
650:Former U.S. Senator
575:Democracy in Deficit
258:Government shutdowns
1494:Economic liberalism
1432:Wall Street Journal
1409:, November 26, 2010
1198:on January 11, 2011
1066:Wall Street Journal
963:The Washington Post
771:Conservatism portal
680:Wall Street Journal
620:Syracuse University
550:Political activist
544:Wall Street Journal
413:government spending
338:Balance of payments
227:Debt-ceiling crises
150:Contemporary issues
1459:Political theories
1354:Blueprint Magazine
1295:The New York Times
1180:William Niskanen.
894:on January 7, 2011
725:
646:Political advocacy
640:US government debt
587:Christina D. Romer
468:
401:
85:Financial position
860:. Independent.org
721:
642:since the 1980s.
616:Leonard E. Burman
579:Richard E. Wagner
567:James M. Buchanan
562:Economic analysis
492:, then-candidate
477:testified to the
386:
385:
195:Political debates
190:Healthcare reform
180:Deficit reduction
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1406:The Fiscal Times
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1356:. Archived from
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1270:on March 4, 2021
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691:The Fiscal Times
665:"Feed the beast"
602:William Niskanen
483:deficit spending
405:Starve the beast
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268:1981, 1984, 1986
206:Starve the beast
64:Major dimensions
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675:Richard Vedder
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636:Bruce Bartlett
609:Cato Institute
591:David H. Romer
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1386:December 9,
1364:December 9,
1300:January 11,
1274:December 9,
1229:December 9,
1202:December 9,
1165:December 9,
1018:December 9,
969:December 9,
864:December 9,
789:Reaganomics
606:libertarian
488:Before his
397:Oval Office
323:Cumulative
320:Terminology
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1453:Categories
813:References
751:Audio help
742:2024-06-13
634:Historian
626:Economist
614:Professor
512:Since 2000
1437:March 24,
657:Lobbyist
433:education
411:to limit
343:Inflation
293:2018–2019
278:1995–1996
1084:CBS News
753: ·
698:See also
539:flat tax
518:tax cuts
462:and the
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445:Medicare
431:such as
329:Interest
288:Jan 2018
128:Medicare
122:Programs
100:Taxation
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593:of the
437:welfare
421:revenue
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1302:2019
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1231:2010
1204:2010
1167:2010
1136:ISBN
1107:ISBN
1047:2020
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