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Editor(s): Mathias Dewatripont , Xavier Freixas Publication Date: 30 March 2012 Link to this page: http://www.cepr.org/pubs/books/P237.asp

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Summary: The current crisis and its high social cost have shattered the confidence of economic agents in the banking system and questioned the capacity of financial markets to channel resources to their best use. While it is essential for the well functioning of economic activity that financial institutions do take risk, the decisions taken by financial intermediaries have proven ex post to be excessively risky. So, what was wrong with financial regulation? How were overoptimistic expectations, short termism and inaccurate risk models implicitly encouraged?

This book is devoted to exploring the general issue of the origins of excessive risk-taking in the banking industry. In doing so, it will provide the analytical ammunition required to rigorously examine regulatory policy at a time when it is undergoing a complete metamorphosis.