Economic Ideas and the Political Process
Debating Tax Cuts in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1962-1981
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7973901 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elizabeth Popp Berman (0000-0002-5299-9042, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY, USA,, corresponding author), Nicholas Pagnucco (University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY, USA,, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 347-372 |
| Publication date | 2010-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Politics & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-3292 • E-ISSN: 1552-7514 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032329210373070 |
| OpenAlex | W2157774240 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 8 |
While sociologists and political scientists have become interested in the role of ideas in the political process, relatively little work looks at how ideological claims are actually deployed in political discourse. This article examines the economic claims made in two pairs of Congressional debates over tax cuts, one (in 1962 and 1964) generally associated with Keynesian economic theories, and one (in 1978 and 1981) tied to supply-side ideas. While these bills were indeed initiated by groups subscribing to different economic ideologies, subsequent debates look surprisingly similar. The bills were closer in substance than one might expect, and while their proponents came from opposite political camps, in both cases supporters focused more on supply-side than demand-side effects and emphasized tax cuts’ ability to pay for themselves through economic stimulation. The authors propose that politically acceptable economic claims may evolve more slowly than the economic theories that inspire policy entrepreneurs, and that this “discursive opportunity structure” may not only constrain the political process but may potentially shape the political effects of expert knowledge
Economics · Ideology · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Work (physics) · Law · Policy Transfer and Learning · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Social Policy and Reform Studies
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,43 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2021 (10) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |