[Verse 1]
In nineteen eighty Reagan had a plan
Cut the taxes, help the working man
Trickle down from rich to poor they said
Growth for all would raise us from the spread
Policy leads to channels, watch them flow
Expected effects, let's see what we know
[Chorus]
Policy channel effect and proof
That's the table, that's the truth
Reagan's promise, Reagan's way
Did it work or did it fray?
Policy channel effect and proof
Show me evidence, show me proof
[Verse 2]
Lower taxes meant more cash to spend
Business investment, jobs around the bend
Deregulation freed the market's hand
Competition spreading cross the land
But critics said the rich would get much more
While working families struggled at the store
[Chorus]
Policy channel effect and proof
That's the table, that's the truth
Reagan's promise, Reagan's way
Did it work or did it fray?
Policy channel effect and proof
Show me evidence, show me proof
[Bridge]
Steelman says the theory made good sense
Free the markets, growth would be immense
But the critique shows a different tale
Inequality began to scale
Some got richer, others fell behind
The data tells us what we find
[Verse 3]
Tax cuts flowed through investment streams
Boosted growth in GDP it seems
But the channel split along the way
Top earners saw their biggest day
Middle class wages stayed the same
While wealth concentrated played the game
[Chorus]
Policy channel effect and proof
That's the table, that's the truth
Reagan's promise, Reagan's way
Did it work or did it fray?
Policy channel effect and proof
Show me evidence, show me proof
[Outro]
From nineteen forty-eight to present day
Prosperity has changed its way
Study policy, trace the flow
Evidence will help us know
What works and what just sounds good
For broad-based prosperity we should