--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the…" description: "\"Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on to lower that even further..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png" --- # Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory… ![“Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on to lower that even further. And this just doesn't make a great deal of sense. When people say, 'Oh, we can't raise taxes on the rich. They'll go on strike, they'll move to…” quote by Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png) > “Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on to lower that even further. And this just doesn't make a great deal of sense. When people say, 'Oh, we can't raise taxes on the rich. They'll go on strike, they'll move to another country.' But within recent memory, it hasn't been that long ago that we had rates that were substantially higher. And these people did just fine. I just think that there's a disconnect between the facts of what taxes do and the sort of mythology of what they do.” [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that high marginal tax rates historically did not harm the economy, challenging the myth that raising taxes on the wealthy inevitably leads to negative outcomes. **In simple terms:** Historical tax rates show myths harm. Key Takeaway Tax myths clash with data. Themes tax policy economic history myth vs reality political rhetoric wealth inequality Mood critical analytical Type policy commentary economic observation When to use this quote - policy debates - budget planning - public discourse - legislative hearings Key Concepts marginal tax rate economic impact political narrative Practical Applications - tax reform analysis - public education on fiscal policy Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports lower taxes? - How do tax rates affect economic growth? A Different Perspective Some argue that high taxes discourage investment, though evidence is mixed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [35 Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/35-percent-373897/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Facts Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-taxes-373896/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Marginal Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marginal-rate-373895/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Raise Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raise-taxes/) [Raises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raises/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Taxes Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes-rich-288767/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [If you raise taxes on the rich, you don't raise much money. I mean, this is one of the things that the U.S. is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/if-you-raise-taxes-on-the-rich-you-don-t-raise-much-money-i-mean-this/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [In Greece, the unemployment rate has risen to 22%. The solution to the problem was to raise taxes on the rich, according to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/in-greece-the-unemployment-rate-has-risen-to-22-the-solution-to-the/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“Under Roosevelt, the top rate was raised at first to 79 percent and then later to 90 percent. Economic historian Burton Folsom notes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-w-reed/under-roosevelt-the-top-rate-was-raised-at-first-to-79-percent-and/) [Lawrence W. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-w-reed/) > [If top marginal income tax rates are set too high, they discourage productive economic activity. In the limit, a top marginal income tax rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-frank/if-top-marginal-income-tax-rates-are-set-too-high-they-discourage/) [Robert H. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-frank/) > [As of the mid-90s, over 50 percent of women have a bachelor's and master's degree, compared to about 35 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in 1920.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/as-of-the-mid-90s-over-50-percent-of-women-have-a-bachelor-s-and/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [How is the government going to run without people like us? We make 35 percent of the bread in this country, and that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-andreas/how-is-the-government-going-to-run-without-people-like-us-we-make-35/) [Dwayne Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-andreas/) > [I came from a state where 35 percent self-identify as Tea Partiers, so I'm a bit distorted perhaps in my appreciation for the larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-carson/i-came-from-a-state-where-35-percent-self-identify-as-tea-partiers-so/) [Brad Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-carson/) > [Under my plan, I'll be reducing taxes tremendously, from 35 percent to 15 percent for companies, small and big businesses. That's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/under-my-plan-i-ll-be-reducing-taxes-tremendously-from-35-percent-to/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [35% percent of a relationship involves tolerating bad breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/35-percent-of-a-relationship-involves-tolerating-bad-breath/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We also need to reduce corporate tax rates. This applies to small, medium and large businesses. At 35 percent, we have the second highest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-whitman/we-also-need-to-reduce-corporate-tax-rates-this-applies-to-small/) [Meg Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-whitman/) > [The fact that 35 percent of all American giving went to religious organizations in 2010 reflects how closely bound many of us are with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/the-fact-that-35-percent-of-all-american-giving-went-to-religious/) [Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/) > [We're going to start making things again in America. As part of our plan to bring back our jobs, we're going to lower our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-going-to-start-making-things-again-in-america-as-part-of-our/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“He wasn’t serving up these insults for effect—well, not entirely. And his behavior wasn’t carefully calculated; it was tit for tat, and he likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-wasn-t-serving-up-these-insults-for-effect-well-not-entirely-and/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Any party that writes off 25, 30, 35 percent of the American people is not going to be a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/any-party-that-writes-off-25-30-35-percent-of-the-american-people-is/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [We are even more confident that when President Goodluck Jonathan returns in 2015, women would be talking about 50 percent, no longer 35 percent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kema-chikwe/we-are-even-more-confident-that-when-president-goodluck-jonathan/) [Kema Chikwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kema-chikwe/) ## More by Bruce Bartlett > [“I think Republicans should fight for the black vote and blacks should fight for a place in the Republican Party, just as they fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/i-think-republicans-should-fight-for-the-black-vote-and-blacks-should/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost than any other tax. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-best-tax-ever-invented-it-raises/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Many of my sharpest critics have decided to take a position of ignoring me - because they feel that by attacking me, they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/many-of-my-sharpest-critics-have-decided-to-take-a-position-of/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“it took two full years for final congressional action on the Tax Reform Act of 1986 after the Treasury had already done a thorough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-took-two-full-years-for-final-congressional-action-on-the-tax/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“Tax reform may present another opportunity to address these issues and perhaps improve both the tax system and the health care system at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/tax-reform-may-present-another-opportunity-to-address-these-issues/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Republicans favor tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, but these had no stimulative effect during the George W. Bush administration, and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/republicans-favor-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy-and-corporations-but-these/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [People are increasingly concerned about unemployment, but Republicans have nothing to offer them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/people-are-increasingly-concerned-about-unemployment-but-republicans/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [So I think we shouldn't be overly concerned about the decline in personal saving at this particular moment and time, but it's something we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/so-i-think-we-shouldn-t-be-overly-concerned-about-the-decline-in/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“It’s as if the concept of taxation as theft—rather than as a shared burden that all should contribute toward as the cost of maintaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-s-as-if-the-concept-of-taxation-as-theft-rather-than-as-a-shared/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [With all due respect to Speaker Hastert, trying to eliminate the IRS by adopting a national retail sales tax is a very dumb idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/with-all-due-respect-to-speaker-hastert-trying-to-eliminate-the-irs/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Rick Perry's an idiot, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/rick-perry-s-an-idiot-and-i-don-t-think-anyone-would-disagree-with/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The break for me was the Medicare drug benefit in 2003. It's just grossly expensive, bad policy. After that, I no longer gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-break-for-me-was-the-medicare-drug-benefit-in-2003-it-s-just/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The conservative side of our political spectrum has had an outsized voice over the last few years. I think especially since the establishment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-conservative-side-of-our-political-spectrum-has-had-an-outsized/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The problem we have had on the budget all along is a lack of adult supervision on the part of the White House. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-problem-we-have-had-on-the-budget-all-along-is-a-lack-of-adult/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Democrats will play the old Washington game of calling reductions in the rate of growth of spending for any program a 'cut'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/democrats-will-play-the-old-washington-game-of-calling-reductions-in/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) [Explore all 20 Bruce Bartlett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on to lower that even further. And this just doesn't make a great deal of sense. When people say, 'Oh, we can't raise taxes on the rich. They'll go on strike, they'll move to another country.' But within recent memory, it hasn't been that long ago that we had rates that were substantially higher. And these people did just fine. I just think that there's a disconnect between the facts of what taxes do and the sort of mythology of what they do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Bartlett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Country" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/bruce-bartlett-27847_country_up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the_13259.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all…” — Bruce Bartlett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bruce Bartlett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Up until 1986, the top marginal...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```