In 1901, the Northern Pacific was an unlikely prize: a twice-bankrupt construction of the federal government, it was a two-bit railroad (literally--five years back, its stock traded for twenty-five cents a share). But it was also a key to connecting eastern markets through Chicago to the rising...

<DIV><P>In 1901, two titans of American railroads set their sights on the Northern Pacific. The subsequent battle was unprecedented in the history of American enterprise, pitting not only James J. Hill against Edward Harriman but also Big Oil against Big Steel and J. P. Morgan against the Rockefellers,...</p></div>

"This paper analyzes options for reforming the U.S. housing finance system in view of the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as government sponsored enterprises (GSEs). The options considered include GSE reform, a range of possible new governmental mortgage guarantee plans, and greater...