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

Thursday, November 20, 2025 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Eastern Europe and Beyond Photo Album
Gallery Talk: Behind The Scenes Of "Eastern Europe And Beyond"
The Hoover Institution Library & Archives invite you to a gallery talk with Archivist Emerita Elena Danielson on Thursday, November 20, 2025,… Hoover Tower, Stanford, California
Thursday, November 20, 2025
The Arsenal of Democracy: Technology, Industry, and Deterrence in an Age of Hard Choice
The Arsenal Of Democracy: Technology, Industry, And Deterrence In An Age Of Hard Choices
The Hoover History Lab and its Applied History Working Group in close partnership with the Global Policy and Strategy Initiative would like to invite… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Education
Reclaiming Liberal Education In America
The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) hosts Reclaiming Liberal Education in America with Peter Berkowitz and Brandice Canes-Wrone… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
overlay image