Your idea that trickle-down economics is akin to socialism is incorrect, as they are directly contradictory ideas. [b]Socialism[/b] is an economic theory in which the means of production are collectivized and wealth is redistributed to the poor (a similar sounding idea to trickle-down, but not the same). [b]Trickle-down Economics: [/b]is a capitalist economic theory in which tax breaks to the top 1% and market deregulation will lead to wealth "trickling down" to the working and middle class. This has been proven to not work, but that's beside the point. You're also incorrect in your nation that free-markets will make everyone richer. That's demonstrably false. Lets look at the numbers. The United States is known as one of the most capitalist nations on earth, with limited welfare programs and a heavy focus on market economics. In tandem with limited and arguably poor social welfare programs, the poverty rate is as high as 13.5%. Hong Kong is another prime example, with the closest match to a stereotypical laissez-faire economy and has a poverty rate of 14.3% (down from 19.6% due to recurrent government cash benefits which is a form of welfare). On the other side of the equation, is Scandinavia. Scandinavian nations have some of the lowest poverty rates on the planet, with the best example being Denmark at 6% (the 2nd lowest in the OECD behind Iceland, another social-market economy). This is usually explained by experts as proof of success of the Nordic Model (also known as Rhine Capitalism), which combines economic freedom with social welfare programs for those that cannot sell their labour or properly contribute to society (the poor, disabled, elderly and unemployed). In conclusion, a free-market is not the answer to reducing poverty and increasing prosperity for all. A genuine free-market only makes the rich richer and the poor poorer, and as the 99% becomes poorer and cannot contribute to our consumerist and materialist model, economic growth stagnates by default. You see recessions nearly every time free-market policies are passed. The Great Depression was partially caused by President Calvin Coolidge's laissez-faire and hands off approach to the U.S. economy. There was a mass recession in Britain after years of conservative and Thatcherite rule. If the U.S. wants to prosper, the government has to look at the majority of the developed world and develop common sense welfare-programs including a single-payer healthcare system at the very least, to help push America's middle class back into the golden age of the 50s and 60s as the strongest in the world. http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/15/news/economy/trickle-down-theory-wrong-imf/ http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1871276/hong-kongs-poverty-rate-may-have-fallen-has-peoples-quality http://www.borgenmagazine.com/nordic-welfare-model-less-poverty-scandinavia/ https://data.oecd.org/inequality/poverty-rate.htm