The Federal Reserve Board published a speech by Governor Michael S. Barr setting out a historical case that financial regulation tends to weaken in boom periods and that this pattern increases bank fragility and worsens subsequent downturns. Barr framed “regulatory weakening” as both deliberate deregulation and regulatory frameworks failing to keep pace with innovation, and argued for a through-the-cycle approach that preserves resilience built in good times. Drawing on the Great Depression, the Savings and Loan crisis, and the Global Financial Crisis, the speech links expanding credit, leverage and new market structures to gaps in capital, oversight and consumer protection. It highlighted that roughly 9,000 of 23,000 U.S. banks failed in the Great Depression era, and noted that during the S&L crisis the number of S&Ls fell from just under 4,000 in 1980 to below 3,000 in 1989 with over 500 insolvent, alongside more than 1,600 bank failures between 1980 and 1994 and estimated resolution costs of USD 160 billion for S&Ls and USD 36 billion for insured bank failures. For the pre-2008 period, it pointed to regulatory gaps around financial holding companies and over-the-counter derivatives, rising leverage and reliance on short-term funding, and concluded that policymakers should resist pressure to loosen rules in booms while continuously updating regulation to reflect evolving risks.
Federal Reserve Board 2025-07-16
Federal Reserve Board Governor Barr cautions that regulatory weakening during booms amplifies busts
Federal Reserve Board Governor Michael S. Barr's speech highlighted the historical pattern of financial regulation weakening during boom periods, increasing bank fragility and exacerbating downturns. Barr advocated for a through-the-cycle regulatory approach to maintain resilience, citing past crises like the Great Depression and the Savings and Loan crisis as examples of regulatory gaps leading to significant bank failures. He emphasized the need for continuous regulatory updates to address evolving risks and resist deregulatory pressures during economic expansions.