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A Fistful of Dollars: Lobbying and the Financial Crisis

In: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2011, Volume 26

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Deniz Igan
  • Prachi Mishra
  • Thierry Tressel

Abstract

Using detailed information on lobbying and mortgage lending activities, we find that lenders lobbying more on issues related to mortgage lending (i) had higher loan-to-income ratios, (ii) securitized more intensively, and (iii) had faster growing portfolios. Ex-post, delinquency rates are higher in areas where lobbyist' lending grew faster and they experienced negative abnormal stock returns during key crisis events. The findings are robust to (i) falsification tests using lobbying on issues unrelated to mortgage lending, (ii) a difference-in-difference approach based on state-level laws, and (iii) instrumental variables strategies. These results show that lobbying lenders engage in riskier lending.

(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

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This chapter was published in:
  • Daron Acemoglu & Michael Woodford, 2012. "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2011, Volume 26," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number acem11-1, June.
    • This item is provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Chapters with number 12416.
    Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:12416
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    Find related papers by JEL classification:
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • P16 - Economic Systems - - Capitalist Systems - - - Political Economy of Capitalism

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