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Lessons We Should Have Learned from the Global Financial Crisis but Didn't

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  • L. Randall Wray

Abstract

In this paper, I first quickly recount the causes and consequences of the global financial crisis (GFC). Of course, the triggering event was the unfolding of the subprime crisis; however, I argue that the financial system was already so fragile that just about anything could have caused the collapse. I then move on to an assessment of the lessons we should have learned. Briefly, these include: (a) the GFC was not a liquidity crisis, (b) underwriting matters, (c) unregulated and unsupervised financial institutions naturally evolve into control frauds, and (d) the worst part is the cover-up of the crimes. I argue that we cannot resolve the crisis until we begin going after the fraud. Finally, I outline an agenda for reform, along the lines suggested by the work of Hyman P. Minsky.

Suggested Citation

  • L. Randall Wray, 2011. "Lessons We Should Have Learned from the Global Financial Crisis but Didn't," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_681, Levy Economics Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:lev:wrkpap:wp_681
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephanie Bell & L. Randall Wray, "undated". "The War on Poverty After 40 Years: A Minskyan Assessment," Economics Public Policy Brief Archive ppb_78, Levy Economics Institute.
    2. Dimitri Papadimitriou & L. Randall Wray, 1998. "The Economic Contributions of Hyman Minsky: varieties of capitalism and institutional reform," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 199-225.
    3. Hyman P. Minsky & Charles J. Whalen, 1996. "Economic Insecurity and the Institutional Prerequisites for Successful Capitalism," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 155-170, December.
    4. Ferri, Piero & Minsky, Hyman P., 1992. "Market processes and thwarting systems," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 79-91, June.
    5. L. Randall Wray, 1998. "Understanding Modern Money," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1668.
    6. L. Randall Wray, 1998. "Modern Money," Macroeconomics 9810002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Maingot & Tony Quon & Daniel Zéghal, 2018. "Risk management by US and Canadian financial firms during the financial crisis," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(4), pages 221-234, November.
    2. Ernest Aigner & Florentin Gloetzl & Matthias Aistleitner & Jakob Kapeller, 2018. "The focus of academic economics: before and after the crisis," ICAE Working Papers 75, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    3. Pérez Rodríguez, Pablo, 2021. "Accounting and auditing of credit loss estimates: The hard and the soft," Latin American Journal of Central Banking (previously Monetaria), Elsevier, vol. 2(2).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Global Financial Crisis; Subprime Crisis; Hyman P. Minsky; Galbraith and the Great Crash; Control Fraud; Underwriting; Deregulation; Financial Reform;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • E11 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Marxian; Sraffian; Kaleckian
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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