> US inventiveness peaked in the 50s and 60s

How does one even measure that? And who would even try and claim that?

> when corporate taxes were much higher

The corporate tax rates in the 70s and 80s were just as high as they were in the 50s and 60s [0]. And the capital gains taxes were actually lower during the 50s and 60s than they were in the 70s and 80s. Why did inventiveness stop if the higher tax rates were helpful?

   1952-1963 Over $25,000 52%
   1975-1978 Over $50,000 48% ($50k in 1978 is ~$21k in 1952)

But surely Reagan did some bad things, right?

   The maximum tax rate on capital gains was capped at 34 percent for 1987
   From April 1, 1954, through Calendar Year 1969, the maximum tax rate on capital gains was 25 percent.

Grift in the 50s and 60s was pervasive and everywhere. Eisenhower was warning about the Military Industrial Complex in 1961.

[0] https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/historical-corpor...