1. How does the most recent 2008-09 recession differ from most other economic recessions since the Great Depression?
2. What is a bank? How does a bank differ from most other financial-service providers?
3. Which businesses are banking’s closest and toughest competitors? What services do they offer that compete directly with banks’ services?
4. Why are banks special?
5. What is a financial intermediary? What are its key characteristics? Is a bank a type of financial intermediary?
6. What are the reasons for regulating the functions of banks?
7. What is the dual banking system?
8. What is the principal role of the Comptroller of the Currency?
9. What is the principal job performed by the FDIC?
10. What key roles does the Federal Reserve System perform in the banking and financial system?
11. What is the Glass-Steagall Act, and why was it important in banking history? 12. What are the main ideas of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991?
