The Financial Crisis: Root Causes, Policy Evaluation, Next Steps
Annenberg Conference Room
Hoover Institution, Stanford University
December 3, 2008

On December 3, the Hoover Institution's Working Group on Economic Policy held a policy workshop to address questions including the following:

  • What were the causes of the crisis? Why has it worsened so much over time? Was there market failure, government failure, or an interactive blend of both? Which causes were global or which were country-specific?
  • Have policy responses and interventions to date been appropriate and effective?
  • How can policy be improved in the short term to keep the crisis from getting worse? More facilities, more clarity, more stimulus packages?
  • What is required in the long term? Reform of the international financial architecture? Specific reforms in each country?

Presentations

  • The View from the Official Sector by John Lipsky, International Monetary Fund
  • The View from the Private Sector by John Powers, Stanford Management Company
  • The Role of the CDS Markets and Proposals for Reform by Darrell Duffie, Stanford Graduate School of Business
  • Update on the Fed's Facilities by John Williams, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
  • The Economic and Financial Crisis and Policy Responses Before and After the TARP by Michael Boskin, Hoover Institution and Stanford Economics Department
  • The G20 Proposals for the Financial Stability Forum and the IMF by Andrew Crockett, J.P. Morgan

Selected Background Readings (from Workshop Participants)

Upcoming Events

Friday, February 27, 2026
European Union flag and Taiwan flag on cloudy sky. waving in the sky stock photo
Partners In Need?: Tracking Europe-Taiwan Relations Amidst Global Disruption
The Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region invites you to a Panel Discussion on Partners in Need?: Tracking Europe-Taiwan Relations amidst… Annenberg Conference Room, George P. Shultz Building, Hoover Institution
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Classroom iStock-1254051142.jpg
How Can Universities Strengthen Civic Education in K–12 Schools?
The Alliance for Civics in the Academy hosts "How Can Universities Strengthen Civic Education in K–12 Schools?" with Jennifer McNabb, Joshua Dunn,… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Judicial Importance, Independence, And Legitimacy In Polarized Times
The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) invites you to join us for the next webinar—co-sponsored by the Stanford Constitutional Law… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
overlay image