A Fistful of Dollars: Lobbying and the Financial Crisis

84 Pages Posted: 23 May 2011 Last revised: 28 Feb 2025

See all articles by Deniz Igan

Deniz Igan

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Financial Studies Division

Prachi Mishra

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department

Thierry Tressel

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 2011

Abstract

Has lobbying by financial institutions contributed to the financial crisis? This paper uses detailed information on financial institutions' lobbying and mortgage lending activities to answer this question. We find that lobbying was associated with more risk-taking during 2000-07 and with worse outcomes in 2008. In particular, lenders lobbying more intensively on issues related to mortgage lending and securitization (i) originated mortgages with higher loan-to-income ratios, (ii) securitized a faster growing proportion of their loans, and (iii) had faster growing originations of mortgages. Moreover, delinquency rates in 2008 were higher in areas where lobbying lenders' mortgage lending grew faster. These lenders also experienced negative abnormal stock returns during the rescue of Bear Stearns and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, but positive abnormal returns when the bailout was announced. Finally, we find a higher bailout probability for lobbying lenders. These findings suggest that lending by politically active lenders played a role in accumulation of risks and thus contributed to the financial crisis.

Suggested Citation

Igan, Deniz and Mishra, Prachi and Tressel, Thierry, A Fistful of Dollars: Lobbying and the Financial Crisis (May 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w17076, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1848591

Deniz Igan (Contact Author)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Financial Studies Division ( email )

700 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Prachi Mishra

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Thierry Tressel

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department ( email )

700 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
102
Abstract Views
1,219
Rank
176,911
PlumX Metrics