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The End of Alchemy by Mervyn King: A Review Essay

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  • Roger E. A. Farmer

Abstract

I review The End of Alchemy by Mervyn King, published by W.W. Norton and Company in 2016. I discuss King's proposed regulatory reform, the "Pawn Broker for All Seasons" (PFAS), and I compare it to an alternative solution developed in my own work. I argue that unregulated trade in the financial markets will not, in general, lead to Pareto optimal allocations. As a consequence, solutions like the PFAS that correct problems with existing institutions are likely to be circumvented by the development of new ones.

Suggested Citation

  • Roger E. A. Farmer, 2018. "The End of Alchemy by Mervyn King: A Review Essay," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(3), pages 1102-1118, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:56:y:2018:i:3:p:1102-18
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.20171445
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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