A discussion of the traditional structure-performance theory and the contestable market theory as they pertain to competition and bank profitability in the banking industry. The author uses data from a sample of Ohio and Pennsylvania banks.

A look at both the reported decline in the share of nonfinancial-sector credit intermediated by banks and the consolidation of the industry into fewer, but larger, institutions, revealing that banks today account for nearly the same share of outstanding household and nonfinancial business-sector...

A discussion of the existing and potential effects of banking deregulation laws and proposals, with emphasis on issues surrounding efforts to weaken restrictions on banks' product decisions imposed by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933.

An analysis of the changes taking place in the banking industry, with a discussion of four options for reforming the structure of our banking system, and a recommendation for the most effective action.

A discussion of how thrift competition affects the earnings of banks, using data from a sample of 314 banks from a 14-state area.

An analysis of independent bank performance from 1979-81 in meeting the challenge posed by economic, regulatory, and technological changes in the commercial banking marketplace.

How to best manage the failure of systemically important financial firms was the theme of a recent conference at which the latest research on the issue was presented. Here we summarize that research, the discussions that it sparked, and the areas where considerable work remains.

The Federal Reserve System is America’s uneasy compromise between our dislike of concentrated financial power and our desire to promote efficiency in our national payments system. In fact, the Federal Reserve is the nation’s third attempt to establish a large national bank—what we now call...

A deposit-pricing survey and comparison of 112 depository institutions in the Fourth Federal Reserve District, covering MMDAs, Super-NOWS, and CDs in an examination of the effect of interest-rate deregulation on banks and thrifts.

An analysis of the institutional design of the Federal Reserve System, stating that the central bank should be given a clear legislative mandate to achieve price-level stability and financial market efficiency, along with the independence and accountability necessary to realize these goals.