Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Gerald Epstein has done something that has needed doing since 2008 -- he has written a book that explains our complex, captured financial system to the lay reader. In simple, clear prose, he outlines why we are still fighting financial fires, and what we can do to bridge the Wall Street-Main Street divide. A wonderful way to understand how finance became the tail that wags the dog of our economy. " -- Rana Foroohar, Associate Editor, Financial Times
"In this incisive chronicle, Epstein (
The Political Economy of Central Banking) . . . surveys how deregulating banking turned the financial institutions into engines of inequality and liabilities to the economy. . . . Epstein’s skill in describing financial matters plainly is a boon. Epstein convinces with this potent plan for ending the era of 'too big to fail.'” * Publishers Weekly *
"A cleareyed view of the financial system’s woes, all addressable if only the political and economic will is there." * Kirkus Reviews *
"Clear-eyed and hopeful,
Busting the Bankers' Club centers the individuals and groups fighting for a financial system that will better serve the needs of the marginalized and support important transitions to a greener, fairer economy. . . . [the book] is an extraordinary and timely study that will have immense value to readers with an interest in the relationship of banks, the U.S. economy, and the methods used by the banking industry to influence governmental policy makers. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented." * Midwest Book Review *
"Exposes the banking cartel that has hijacked U.S. democracy." * Wall Street On Parade *
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Abbreviations
SECTION I FROM BORING TO ROARING BANKING
1. The Jekyll and Hyde of Finance
2. Boring Banking and the “Golden Age” of Capitalism
3. Roaring Banking: The World the Bankers Made
4. Are Bankers Essential Workers?
SECTION II THE BANKERS' CLUB AND THE POWER OF FINANCE
5. The Anatomy of the Bankers’ Club
6. Lobbyists and Politicians versus the Club Busters
7. The Federal Reserve: Chairman of the Club
8. Financial Regulators and Their Lawyers
9. Nonfinancials Flip: The Financialization of the CEOs
10. Bankers’ Club Economics
SECTION III FINANCE FOR THE REST OF US
11. Financial Regulation for All
12. Banks without Bankers: Finance to Meet Social Needs
13. Busting the Bankers’ Club and Restoring Democracy
Appendix: The Bankers’ Club Assault on the New Deal
Regulatory Structure
Notes
References
Index
