Financial Crises: The Foundation of Global Tension

The global financial crisis of 2008 was a watershed moment in American history as the country experienced its worst crisis since the Great Depression.

This class will track the factors leading up to this market meltdown and place it within a larger historical context of previous financial crises. In doing so, we will see how financial crises often serve as mechanisms of shock to societal structures that lead to political movements, wars, and massive social change. Then, after studying these past circumstances, we will simulate a hypothetical financial crisis to more fully understand how these economic upheavals impact various stakeholders. Working in teams, students will play the roles of central banks, large market players, government regulators, legislatures and government executives during the run-up to and unfolding of a crisis, putting into practice the lessons learned from the past.