Margaret Polski

Margaret Polski

Margaret M. Polski is a political economist and consultant with over twenty years experience leading transformation initiatives in business, government, and civic sectors. Her research interests include innovation, growth, and regulation.

Dr. Polski has a Ph.D. from Indiana University, an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.E.S. from the University of Minnesota. She is an Affi liate Fellow at the Center for Neuroeconomics at George Mason University School of Law and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Strategies at the School for Public and Environmental Aff airs at Indiana University.

POLICY BRIEFS

Systemic Risk and the U.S. Financial System image

Systemic Risk and the U.S. Financial System

Margaret Polski | May 2009
The risk that disturbances in one component of a system will spread to others is called "systemic risk." To address systemic risk, some policy makers propose a centralized regulatory authority. However, a closer look at how the financial system works suggests that this is misguided. The U.S. financial system is polycentric, closely tied to local economic activity, and ever-evolving. In today's world, a centralized regulatory authority cannot regulated systemic risk effectively.
Bank Risk Management image

Bank Risk Management

Margaret Polski | Apr 2009
Policy makers who seek to ensure a robust and effective regulatory regime for banks must always keep in mind the interconnected nature of the industry as well as the various distinct risks that banks themselves specialize in managing. This publication lays out the underlying complexity of the U.S. banking system, defines systemic risk and other risks, and suggests some principles that need to be considered when thinking about major reforms of the banking regulatory regime.