A history of major financial crises--and how taxpayers have been left with the bill. In the 1930s, battered and humbled by the Great Depression, the U.S. financial sector struck a grand bargain with the federal government. Bankers gained a safety net in exchange for certain curbs on their freedom: transparency rules, record-keeping and antifraud measures, and fiduciary responsibilities. Despite subsequent periodic changes in these regulations, the...

"This book gives you everything you need to understand our rapidly evolving economy--as well as the economic fundamentals that never change. What's the best way to fight poverty? What can be done to protect endangered species and the environment? This book explains the answers to those questions--and many more--in plain English"--Page 4 of cover. Grasp the history, principles, theories, and terminology of economics. This updated guide gives you a...