Theft of a Nation

Wall Street Looting and Federal Regulatory Colluding

Gregg Barak

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Year: 2012
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781442207806
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Social Sciences

Theft of a Nation presents a powerful criminological examination of Wall Street's recent financial meltdown and its profound impact on the rest of the country. This provocative book asks why, if the actions of key players on Wall Street and in the government resulted in an economic downturn that harmed millions of Americans and destroyed capital worldwide, no one was held criminally liable for these actions.

Author Gregg Barak provides a basic history of financial regulation and deregulation, as well as a primer on both securities fraud and mass victimization. Using key concepts in victimology and white collar crime, he explores the diverse ways civil and criminal law enforcement responded to the damaging behavior on Wall Street. The book also assesses Wall Street Financial Reform and the Consumer Protection Act of 2010, showing the ways that Americans may still be at risk.

Theft of a Nation is the first comprehensive criminological investigation of the role of Wall Street and the government in the recent financial crisis, asking critical questions about who has been victimized and why.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Law, Power, and Wealth
• Chapter 2: Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme and Wall Street’s Financial Meltdown
• Chapter 3: Unenlightened Self-Interest, Unregulated Financial Markets, and Unfettered Victimization
• Chapter 4: Theories of White-Collar Illegalities and the Crimes of the Powerful
• Chapter 5: Financial Looting, Victimization, and Legal Intervention
• Chapter 6: Consuming Victims and Victimless Identities
• Chapter 7: The Wall Street Financial Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010
• Conclusion
• Postscript
• Notes
• Glossary of Financial Terms
• About the Author