starving the beast query

[Allen D. Maberry]

I have a query from a colleague about the phrase "starving the beast" used in economics which refers to the government policy of tax cuts in order to take money away from the federal administration and to increase the deficit, which, in turn, forces the government to reduce spending. My colleague did a Google search and traced the phrase back to Reagan budget advisor David Stockman in the early 1980s.

Is that the first use of the expression in the economic sense? Is it used in other contexts and if so what are they, and where did the phrase originate?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

allen
maberry at u.washington.edu