> for over a generation the US citizenry has been trained to vote against anyone who asks for more taxes.
My understanding is that in the Reagan era, it was assumed that if tax payers could get tax cuts passed, then common-sense budgetary-discipline would force the legislature to follow through with spending cuts. The motto was to "starve the beast".
The problem is that transfer payments (from tax payers to voter blocks) are so compelling for most politicians that they refuse to swerve in the game of political chicken.
Nowadays, some libertarian-minded voters call for spending cuts directly, hoping that the tax cuts will follow.
Either way, there needs to be some way of signaling for errant government to do more with less as we do via market signals in the private sector.
My understanding is that in the Reagan era, it was assumed that if tax payers could get tax cuts passed, then common-sense budgetary-discipline would force the legislature to follow through with spending cuts. The motto was to "starve the beast".
The problem is that transfer payments (from tax payers to voter blocks) are so compelling for most politicians that they refuse to swerve in the game of political chicken.
Nowadays, some libertarian-minded voters call for spending cuts directly, hoping that the tax cuts will follow.
Either way, there needs to be some way of signaling for errant government to do more with less as we do via market signals in the private sector.