Obama Steps Up

For the past six years, Barack Obama's administration has, more often than not, sided with the interests of big banks on financial-sector policy. But this week, announcing a new proposal to prevent conflicts of interest in financial advising, Obama seemed to turn an important corner.

WASHINGTON, DC – For the past six years, US President Barack Obama's administration has, more often than not, sided with the interests of big banks on financial-sector policy. But this week, announcing a new proposal to prevent conflicts of interest in financial advising, Obama seemed to turn an important corner.

From the outset of his first presidential term, Obama maintained the approach taken by George W. Bush's administration. Large financial firms benefited from the provision of massive government support in early 2009, and their executives and shareholders received generous terms. Citigroup, in particular, benefited from this approach, which allowed it to carry on with substantially the same business model and management team. And the Dodd-Frank financial-reform legislation of 2010 could have done much more to curtail large banks' power and limit the damage they can cause.

Most recently, in December 2014, the administration abandoned an important part of the Dodd-Frank reforms – a move that directly benefited Citigroup by allowing its management team to take on more risk (of the kind that almost broke the financial system in 2007-08). Among financial-industry lobbyists and House Republicans, the knives are out to roll back more of the constraints imposed on Citigroup and other big banks.

https://prosyn.org/A1KIRGr