Three essays on banking: agency, opacity, and fragility

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Banks play a central role in the economy of the United States. As in most developed countries, banks in the United States are regulated to prevent activities on the part of bank managers that might place deposits at risk. In this dissertation, I examine three constructs theorized to impact the behavior of bankers and, thus, the need for bank regulation. First, I examine the problems that stem from the separation of ownership and control that exist when bankers do not own a significant portion of the bank. Second, I examine whether banks are more opaque than industrial firms, meaning that gathering information about banks by outsiders is more difficult than for a matched set of industrial firms. Finally, I examine the impact on risky banker behavior of depositors' ability to quickly withdraw funds from banks.