Because of secrecy, little is known about the political economy of central bank lending. Utilizing a novel, hand-collected historical daily dataset on loans to commercial banks, we analyze how personal connections matter for lending of last resort, highlighting the importance of governance for...

Religion, church, and economics -- The economics of religion -- Religious markets -- Religious form change: case studies -- Economics of the Protestant revolt -- The Counter-Reformation: incumbent-firm reaction to market entry -- The establishment and evolution of Protestantism -- Catholicism,...