The centrality of finance -- Financialization and social structures of accumulation -- Realism in financial economics -- The shadow of the financial system -- The coming apart -- Rescue and the limits of reform -- Nations, globalization, and financialization -- The present in history

Actions taken by the United States and other countries during the Great Recession focused on restoring the viability of major financial institutions while guaranteeing debt and stimulating growth. Once the markets stabilized, the United States enacted regulatory reforms that ultimately left...

Contents: Part I Theory and evidence on finance and growth -- 1. Financial development and innovation-led growth / Phillippe Aghion, Peter Howitt and Ross Levine -- 2. Financial structure, economic growth and development / Franklin Allen, Xian Gu and Oskar Kowalewski -- 3. Evidence on finance...