Suppose that the Federal government can, at some cost to its…
Suppose that the Federal government can, at some cost to itself (and, hence, to all of us), penalize banks for the risks they take on. Suppose, further, that beyond some point, the value to the government and to all of us of things the government might do with the money used for risk reduction is greater than the cost of a little risk. Finally, assume that the Federal government pursues policies consistent with what you know about optimal choices. Then, from an efficiency perspective, it should be the case that ________.