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Phl 227 Financial Market Ethics Paper

Decent Essays

PHL 227
Case 3
Financial Market ethics The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and subsequent financial market crash ushered in a time where many financial service companies were bailed out because they were deemed “too big to fail”. This term describes the large, intertwined relationship that many of the top banking and finance institutions have on our economy, and the devastating consequences that would transpire if these institutions were allowed to fail and cease to exist. While controversial, bailing out banks and other financial institutions was absolutely necessary to maintain the economic integrity of our nation. Raising objections to the ethical nature of a business being “too big to fail” does not address the deep underlying issues that led to this sort of thing being a possible whatsoever. With this being said, the aspects …show more content…

From a macroeconomic perspective, banks and other financial institutions are of critical importance. Not only do they make loans to homeowners and businesses, but these institutions make loans to each other and also influence the money supply. With this in mind, the government as well as the general population have a great interest in insuring the stability of these institutions. So, in our case, when banks are seriously threatened with collapse, even through fault of their own, the state has an ethical duty to ensure their survival through any means necessary. This is a consequence of the deep connections these institutions have with all facets of our society. One clear ramification would be decreased access to loans, if a bank is failing, it will be more hesitant or even cease to make loans to homeowners and small businesses. What is more devastating is the effect this will have on our

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