Ten years later: Lessons from the 2008-09 financial crisis

It’s hard to detect a financial bubble when you’re in the middle of it—especially when accompanied by the type of economic euphoria we saw during the U.S. housing boom of the mid 2000s. Today, with the benefit of hindsight, there are many lessons to be learned, but we must first understand what went wrong and how the “fixes” have fared.

This one-day event emphasized the political and global dimensions of the crisis, exploring how a new Congress—and a new president—responded in the aftermath and how it compares to other financial crises. Perhaps most crucially, it also examined if we are prepared to handle the inevitable next crises, whenever it may occur.

On January 10, the Brookings Governance Studies Program, the Miller Center, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and the UVA Law School hosted an event that emphasizes the political and global dimensions of the 2008 financial crisis, specifically exploring such questions as: How did a new Congress—and a new president—respond in the aftermath? How does the 2008 financial crisis compare to other crises in U.S. history? And, perhaps most crucial, how well-prepared are we today to handle inevitable future crises?

For details on speakers and the event, please visit the Miller Center’s website.