A Century of Regress or Progress? A Political History of Bankruptcy Legislation in 1898 and 1998

Abstract

This article examines in detail the legislative process underlying the Bankruptcy Act of 1898, including the political history of the bankruptcy legislation, who was involved, what issues arose and how legislators accomplished their task. This article then compares the legislative process behind the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 to compare it to the legislative process underlying the 1998 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code.