Starving the Beast: Ronald Reagan and the Tax Cut Revolution

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The book delves into the Republican Party's unwavering commitment to tax cuts since the 1980s, framing it as a distinctively American strategy. Monica Prasad reveals that the 1981 tax cut was driven by a desire to dismantle the Democratic power structure established post-World War II, rather than mere economic theory or pressure from business groups. By positioning tax cuts as a political tool, Republicans reshaped their identity and electoral strategy. Prasad proposes that learning from European models of combining social protections with growth-oriented policies could benefit the American economy.