Skip to content
Opinion
Noah Smith

How 'Supply' Became a Dirty Word in Economics

It doesn't have to be synonymous with tax cuts.
More of this, please.

More of this, please.

Photographer: George Frey/Getty Images
Corrected

“Supply” is a dirty word in economic policy discussions. That needs to change.

Over the past few decades, the word “supply” has come to be associated with pro-market, anti-government policy. That has earned it the scorn of many among the growing number of intellectuals, activists and policymakers who worry about rising inequality and other economic ills that laissez-faire thinkers overlook. How did this happen?