Varieties of Liberalism: Anglo-Saxon Capitalism in Crisis? Sue Konzelmann & Marc Fovargue-Davies...
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Transcript of Varieties of Liberalism: Anglo-Saxon Capitalism in Crisis? Sue Konzelmann & Marc Fovargue-Davies...
Varieties of Liberalism:
Anglo-Saxon Capitalismin Crisis?Sue Konzelmann &
Marc Fovargue-Davies(Gerhard Schnyder)
REFGOV / DEMOGOVBrussels 26-28 May 2010
Market capitalization & Cost of bank bail-outs
Change 1999-2009
($bn)
Bank bail-out package as a %
GDP (March 2009)
Canada 97.5 0.0 %
Australia 85.6 0.1 %
UK -211.4 19.8 %
USA -633 6.8 %Source: Financial Times, 23 March 2009, p.9. 1999 values are as of 31 May 1999; 2009 values are as of 17 March 2009; Stewart 2009.
Overview
• The logic & rise of economic liberalism • Early effects & responses to crises• Industrial restructuring & the market for
corporate control• Financial market liberalization• Regulators & the regulated• Financial alchemy & the US sub-prime
bubble• Conclusions & implications for policy
reform
The logic & rise of economic liberalism
• Classical versus ‘Ordo’ Liberalism• The collapse of Bretton Woods and
relaxation of international money movements
• Globalization and the onset of de-industrialization
• Growing confidence in markets and the ‘re-regulation’ of the real & financial sectors of the economy
Early effects of liberalization &
responses to crises
• Australia & America– Australian corporate & financial scandals (1980s)– US Savings & Loan Crisis (1980s & 1990s)
• Canada & Britain– Bank, insurance trust & investment house
failures (1980s & 1990s)
• All four systems had looked into the abyss …
Industrial re-structuring & the market for corporate
control• Leveraged buyouts & hostile take-overs
in Britain (1960s & 70s) & America (1980s)
• The ‘market for managerial control’ & industrial re-structuring
• Take-over markets in the Anglo-Saxon world
• The structure of the economy & opportunities for investment
• Stock market liberalization– ‘May Day’ 1975 (New York) – 1986 ‘Big Bang’ (London)
• The structure of financial markets– Domestic banks & financial institutions
in Canada & Australia– A global marketplace in London & New
York• The structure of regulation
– fragmentation versus a single regulator
Financial market liberalization
• Britain & America: ‘light touch’ regulation– Increasing relative power (economic &
political) of the regulated
• Australia & Canada: prudential regulation & high levels of own capital reserves– ‘Banks are bastards; bigger banks are
bigger bastards.’ (Maiden 2008)– ‘Our job is to tell you what to do, not to
make it grow.’ (Freeland 2010)
Regulators & the regulated
• Presence of the pre-conditions for financial instability
• Conditions uncomfortable for banks in London and New York
• Financial ‘innovation’ & exploitation of the American sub-prime real estate market
• Loss of confidence precipitates crisis• Financial market crisis has re-bound effects
on the real economy & the recession deepens
Financial Alchemy & the American
sub-prime bubble
• The philosophy shaping liberalization• Relationship between the regulator &
regulated• Investment opportunities outside of finance &
re-balancing a ‘post-industrial’ economy• National political context• The role of the state & philosophy of
government• The direction of reform
Conclusions & Implications for Policy