Understanding the Failures of Market Discipline

82 Pages Posted: 5 Mar 2014 Last revised: 5 Jan 2016

See all articles by David Min

David Min

University of California, Irvine School of Law; California State Senate; University of California, Irvine School of Law; University of California, Irvine School of Law

Date Written: March 3, 2014

Abstract

“Market discipline” — the notion that short-term creditors can efficiently rein in bank risk — has been a central pillar of banking regulation since the late 1980s, both in the United States and abroad. While market discipline did not prevent the buildup of bank risk that caused the recent financial crisis, the conventional wisdom has been that this failure was due to an insufficiency of market discipline, rather than any problems with the concept itself. As a result, policy makers have increased regulatory reliance on market discipline, making this a central part of their reform efforts. This Article challenges the prevailing wisdom and makes two significant contributions to the literature. First, I demonstrate that market discipline failed more severely and completely than has previously been acknowledged, as it did not even identify rising bank risk until after the financial crisis had already begun. Second, I explain the causes of this failure. Market discipline conflates two distinct types of bank-issued securities — investment securities and money instruments — and therefore errs in two critical ways. Market discipline relies too heavily upon investors in money instruments, who are relatively insensitive to risk and thus particularly poor monitors of banks. And market discipline ignores the effects of bank shareholders, who are highly risk-sensitive but may have incentives adverse to those of public policy. Despite these enormous flaws, market discipline continues to be a major point of emphasis among bank regulators and policy makers, increasing the risk that regulators may again be blindsided by another financial crisis.

Keywords: Market discipline, banking, regulation

Suggested Citation

Min, David and Min, David, Understanding the Failures of Market Discipline (March 3, 2014). 92 Washington University Law Review 1421 (2015), UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2014-15, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2403988

David Min (Contact Author)

University of California, Irvine School of Law ( email )

401 E. Peltason Dr.
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Irvine, CA 92697-1000
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California State Senate ( email )

State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
United States
916-651-4037 (Phone)

University of California, Irvine School of Law ( email )

401 E. Peltason Dr.
Ste. 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-1000
United States

University of California, Irvine School of Law ( email )

401 E. Peltason Dr.
Ste. 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-1000
United States

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