Market failure and the need for stronger state involvement in the economy has become the dominant perspective in the interpretation of the subprime crisis. After providing a brief description of the various stages of the crisis, the paper challenges this view by showing how monetary, fiscal and...

As Jeff Madrick makes clear, the single-minded pursuit of huge personal wealth has been on the rise in the United States since the 1970s, led by a few individuals who argue that self-interest guides society more effectively than community concerns. In telling the stories of these politicians,...