While some policymakers are sympathetic to shrinking the government’s role, most are hesitant about getting the government out of financial markets. They tend to view financial markets as a special case, an area of the economy that requires extra intervention to keep people safe. Unfortunately, the current approach merely trusts regulators’ judgment instead of the judgment of people in the markets. Regulators make mistakes because they’re people, too, and nobody has perfect foresight. The current approach leaves us with little more than a massive set of rules and directives that enrich the well-connected and harm regular Americans.

For policymakers who want to improve financial markets, the Cato Institute’s Sound Financial Policy guide provides many practical solutions to reduce excessive government regulation and involvement in financial markets.

Please join us at noon on Thursday, March 13, in 2128 Rayburn for a discussion with Norbert Michel, Jennifer J. Schulp, Jai Kedia, and Nicholas Anthony. They will discuss their contributions to the guide and the policy solutions they recommend for Congress. Lunch will be provided.