Financial regulators and politicians unsuccessfully maintained the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system not only because they lacked the proper tools but also because they lacked the proper incentives. While filling regulatory gaps and improving supervisory tools are worthwhile...

This paper examines the impact of bank regulations, market structure, and national institutions on bank net interest margins and overhead costs using data on over 1,400 banks across 72 countries while controlling for bank-specific characteristics. The data indicate that tighter regulations on...