The Demise of Finance-dominated Capitalism ― Explaining the Financial and Economic Crises

The Demise of Finance-dominated Capitalism goes well beyond the dominant interpretation that the recent financial and economic crises are rooted in malfunctioning and poorly regulated financial markets. The book provides an overview of different theoretical, historical and empirical perspectives on the long-run transition towards finance-dominated capitalism, on the implications for macroeconomic and financial stability, and ultimately on the recent global financial and economic crises.In the first part of the book the macroeconomics of finance-dominated capitalism, the theories of financial crisis and important past crises are reviewed. The second part deals with the 2007–09 financial and economic crises in particular, and discusses five explanations of the crises in more detail. The special focus of the book is the long-run problems and inconsistencies of finance-dominated capitalism that played a key role in the crisis and its severity.The comprehensive literature reviews on the issues of financialization and economic crises will be a valuable aid to students. Policy makers will find the broader views on the causes of the recent financial and economic crises and the contradictions of finance-dominated capitalism of great interest. Alternative views on the long-run developments towards financialization, as well as on the relationships of these developments with the recent financial crises, will appeal to researchers in this field.

Edited by Eckhard Hein, Daniel Detzer and Nina Dodig, The Institute for International Political Economy (IPE), Berlin School of Economics and Law, Germany