trickle-down

[keitra]

What is trickle-down theory?

[Quizmonster]

The idea behind trickle-down theory is that - if you pour money and resources in at the 'top' end of a situation - good results will slowly filter down to the lower levels.

An example might be initially making the salary and conditions wonderful for hospital consultants. A result will be their greater job-satisfaction, which in turn will make the lives of junior doctors, nurses and eventually porters that much better.

[woodpam]

It's a great way for people who are paid substantial sums of money to justify this to the rest of us, e.g. the Queen gets a whopping sum and buys racehorses with some of it, thus benefiting the stable and trainer who employ grooms who then take their pittance of a salary and buy groceries at the corner shop who then pay someone to come in and serve in the shop. It works the same for the clothes, hats, yachts etc. The only slight problem with the theory is that the money has to come from somewhere in the first place and in this case, it'll be from you and me.