During the last several years, concern has increased that changes in the financial system have made it harder for rural banks to attract enough deposits to meet local credit demands. While urban banks may face some of the same problems, it is widely believed that funding pressures have increased...

A main public policy concern regarding the massive consolidation of the banking industry between 1984 and 2003 is the consolidation's potential effect on competition in local banking markets. Examining this period for the Twelfth Federal Reserve District, I find, on the whole, moderate increases...

·An in-depth look at the growth and decline of Atlantic City and the conditions in the city since casino gambling was legalized in 1978 as a "unique tool of urban redevelopment." The report expands on a case study of several of Atlantic City's census tracks with high levels of poverty. The case...