why banks will always be different: banks as "government supported enterprises"

June 4, 2010
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Banks are not like ordinary enterprises, and their differences increase as they get larger. This makes public policy regarding banks more complicated than is the case in other areas of economic regulation.

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some reality about really big "rational actors"

June 3, 2010
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In efficient markets the mistakes of individual participants are corrected by the aggregate performance of the market as a whole. But when companies become so large that their mistakes spill out into the pubic arena, requiring some kind of public intervention to repair or salvage the situation, the pubic has an interest in reducing the…

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the next act: after congress passes the financial reform package

June 1, 2010
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The rulemaking process that will follow President Obama's signature to the financial reform legislation in early July will be a complex, expensive and important one. This is where many critical details will get hammered out, and financial institutions are well positioned to influence this process, whereas consumers and the media are not. Only the strongest…

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less government or good government?

May 28, 2010
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There are many reasons to oppose introducing or increasing regulation, reasons that, depending on the context, are sometimes good or sometimes bad.  Among the good reasons might be that - new regulation is purely punitive, - it has been hastily crafted with little understanding of the business that is to be regulated, - regulation is…

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a fickle finger of fate or the dirty digit of destiny?

May 27, 2010
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Regulation is necessary to ensure that companies, pressured by the contraints of competition and the need to generate profits, take the precautions necessary to ensure public safety. The recent revelations about decisions made by BP before the gas blowout in the Gulf are once again a demonstration that strong, sophisticated and effective regulation must accompany…

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externalities

May 26, 2010
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Graphic examples of market externalities are to be found all around us.

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the real cost of financial reform

May 26, 2010
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Financial reform will add costs to banks, particularly very large ones. But these should be weighed against the costs of not reforming, and against the subsidies large financial institutions currently enjoy. The ultimate costs to the public of not reforming are far greater.

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some key things missing from the financial reform legislation

May 26, 2010
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Congress has made much more progress on financial reform than cynics might have thought.  The House and Senate bills have now been passed with strong majorities and will now be reconciled in what will surely be a bruising conference committee.  The conference will proceed from June 15 and Congressional leaders hope to present the final…

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