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The Political Economy of Financial Regulation: Evidence from U.S. State Usury Laws in the 19th Century

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  • Efraim Benmelech
  • Tobias J. Moskowitz

Abstract

We investigate the causes and consequences of financial regulation by studying the political economy of U.S. state usury laws in the 19th century. We find evidence that usury laws were binding and enforced and that lending activity was affected by rate ceilings. Exploiting the heterogeneity across states and time in regulation, enforcement, and market conditions, we find that regulation tightens when it is less costly and when it coexists with other economic and political restrictions that exclude certain groups. Furthermore, the same determinants of financial regulation that favor one group (and restrict others) are associated with higher (lower) future economic growth rates. The evidence suggests regulation is the outcome of private interests using the coercive power of the state to extract rents from other groups, highlighting the endogeneity of financial development and growth.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 12851.

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Date of creation: Jan 2007
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12851

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  1. Six Types of Libertarian Arguments Against Government Action
    by Ilya Somin in the volokh conspiracy on 2010-12-02 05:11:07
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Cited by:
  1. Wieneke, Axel & Gries, Thomas, 2011. "SME performance in transition economies: The financial regulation and firm-level corruption nexus," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 221-229, June.
  2. David Hirshleifer, 2008. "Psychological Bias as a Driver of Financial Regulation," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 14(5), pages 856-874.
  3. Enrico Perotti & Marcel Vorage, 2010. "Bank Ownership and Financial Stability," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 10-022/2, Tinbergen Institute, revised 11 Sep 2010.
  4. Becker, Bo, 2006. "City Size and Financial Development," SIFR Research Report Series 46, Institute for Financial Research.
  5. Luca Agnello & Sushanta K. Mallick & Ricardo M. Sousa, 2012. "Financial Reforms and Income Inequality," NIPE Working Papers 21/2012, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
  6. Enrico Perotti & Marcel Vorage, 2010. "Bank Ownership and Financial Stability," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 10-022/2, Tinbergen Institute, revised 11 Sep 2010.
  7. repec:pid:journl:v:46:y:2007:i:4:p:449-464 is not listed on IDEAS
  8. Attiya Y. Javid & Robina Iqbal, 2010. "Corporate Governance in Pakistan: Corporate Valuation, Ownership and Financing," PIDE-Working Papers 2010:57, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
  9. Giesecke, Kay & Longstaff, Francis A. & Schaefer, Stephen & Strebulaev, Ilya, 2011. "Corporate bond default risk: A 150-year perspective," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(2), pages 233-250.
  10. Hauner, David & Prati, Alessandro & Bircan, Cagatay, 2013. "The interest group theory of financial development: Evidence from regulation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 895-906.
  11. Murizah Osman Salleh & Aziz Jaafar & M. Shahid Ebrahim, 2011. "The Inhibition of Usury (Riba An-Nasi'ah) and the Economic Underdevelopment of the Muslim World," Working Papers 11002, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).

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