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Bank Burden

By experts and staff

Published
  • Benn SteilCFR Expert
    Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics
  • Dinah Walker
    Analyst, Geoeconomics

A few years ago, countries were seeking to expand their financial sector (move toward the left in the chart) in order to accelerate economic growth. But the crisis has made states more aware of the economic and political risks associated with over-sized banks, as demonstrated by the crisis in Iceland. The crisis has also illustrated the interdependence of the world banking system and the costs of letting foreign banks fail, highlighting the importance of international regulation. The following articles discuss how best to fix finance—through national regulation or international coordination.