▁trick le - down ▁theory ▁more ▁specifically ▁targets ▁tax es ▁on ▁the ▁upper ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁spectrum . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" tr ick le - down " ▁origin ated ▁as ▁a ▁jo ke ▁by ▁humor ist ▁Will ▁Rog ers ▁and ▁today ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁to ▁critic ize ▁economic ▁policies ▁that ▁favor ▁the ▁wealth y ▁or ▁privile ged ▁while ▁being ▁fr amed ▁as ▁good ▁for ▁the ▁average ▁citiz en . ▁David ▁Stock man , ▁who ▁as ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ' s ▁budget ▁director ▁champion ed ▁Re agan ' s ▁tax ▁cut s ▁at ▁first , ▁later ▁became ▁critical ▁of ▁them ▁and ▁told ▁journalist ▁William ▁Gre ider ▁that ▁" supp ly - side ▁econom ics " ▁is ▁the ▁trick le - down ▁idea : ▁▁ ▁Political ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁the ▁Re agan ▁administration ▁soon ▁seized ▁on ▁this ▁language ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁brand ▁the ▁administration ▁as ▁car ing ▁only ▁about ▁the ▁wealth y . ▁Some ▁studies ▁suggest ▁a ▁link ▁between ▁trick le - down ▁econom ics ▁and ▁reduced ▁growth . ▁Tr ick le - down ▁econom ics ▁has ▁been ▁widely ▁critic ized ▁particularly ▁by ▁left - wing , ▁centre - left ▁ ▁and ▁moder ate ▁polit icians ▁and ▁econom ists , ▁but ▁also ▁some ▁right - wing ▁polit icians . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁Political ▁Econom y ▁found , ▁contrary ▁to ▁trick le - down ▁theory , ▁that ▁" the ▁positive ▁relationship ▁between ▁tax ▁cut s ▁and ▁employ ment ▁growth ▁is ▁largely ▁driven ▁by