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Bonus: How Art Laffer Created The Cult Of Reaganomics
You last listened April 25, 2025
In this bonus episode, we’re sharing an extended behind-the-scenes interview with economist Arthur Laffer, featured in Part 2 of the Tax Revolt mini-series. The conversation was recorded with audio producers Arjun Singh and Ariella Markowitz.
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Often called the godfather of supply-side economics, Laffer made a splash in the mid-1970s after he published the infamous “Laffer Curve,” a widely criticized economic theory that suggested cutting taxes for the richest people in America would ultimately lead to more economic prosperity and government revenue, trickling down to the rest of us.
As a paid supporter of The Lever, you receive ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content like this. You can read the full transcript of the interview here.
Often called the godfather of supply-side economics, Laffer made a splash in the mid-1970s after he published the infamous “Laffer Curve,” a widely criticized economic theory that suggested cutting taxes for the richest people in America would ultimately lead to more economic prosperity and government revenue, trickling down to the rest of us.
In 1974, Laffer sketched the curve on a napkin for two young members of the Ford administration, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, along with Wall Street Journal columnist Jude Wanniski. But the supply-side cult’s most consequential convert was future president Ronald Reagan, someone who allegedly “did a complete 180” on economics after learning about supply-side economics.