Saving the Market from Itself : The Politics of Financial Intervention

This book examines state responses to the financial crisis of 2007–9, arguing that economic logic alone cannot account for differences. The author argues that the answer lies in the politics of private governance. The book will appeal to scholars and advanced students of political economy, comparative politics, economic sociology, economics, and public policy.

The 2007–9 financial crisis threatened economic disaster on a scale not seen since the Great Depression, but rapid state action prevented the widely feared devastation. The German response was considerably more generous to banks than the American or British bailouts. Drawing on interviews and primary sources in government, private firms, and media, Mitchell explains how the structure of national financial systems and interbank relationships produced extensive private rescues and pressure on different states. Mitchell explores the different responses and results in Germany, the UK and the US using a combination of detailed case study analyses of the three countries' responses to the crisis and a quantitative analysis of patterns of state responses to financial crises. This book will be essential reading for scholars and advanced students of political economy, comparative politics, economic sociology, economics, and public policy.