The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has published the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the banking crises of the1980s and early 1990s and an evaluation of the lessons learned from these crises.

The two-volume study, History of the Eighties-Lessons for the Future, examines the most turbulent period in the banking system's history since the Great Depression. In the first volume, the FDIC's Division of Research and Statistics presents its assessment of the economic, structural, supervisory and legislative conditions present as the era of financial institution failures began. The research staff also reviews how these factors changed over time, as well as the policy implications for future banking problems.

The second volume contains the proceedings of the History of the Eighties symposium held by the FDIC in 1997. The effectiveness of bank examination and enforcement; the role of deposit insurance; market discipline and early intervention are among the topics that regulatory and industry experts discuss.

Printed versions of the two-volume study can be obtained from or inspected at the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, D.C., 20434-0001 (telephone (703) 562-2200 or 800-276-6003). History of the Eighties-Lessons for the Future will be available soon on the FDIC's Internet site.

Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation's banking system. The FDIC insures deposits at the nation's 11,027 banks and savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed.