Public Banks Research
My dissertation research examined the origins and diffusion of public banks—financial institutions created or taken over by governments with maintained ownership or control that have long shaped how states engage with markets. Historically, public banks have been used to finance infrastructure, support underinvested sectors, and manage economic crises, aligning capital with public policy goals. They have drawn renewed attention in recent years amid post-2008 financial reform, the return of industrial policy, the rise of mission-driven finance, and efforts to address challenges such as climate change, energy security, and meeting sustainable development goals such as access to clean water (see my co-authored book chapter here).
My research traces how and why public banks have formed around the world since they first emerged in the fifteenth century. The pages below outline the core concepts, motivations, theory, and data behind this work:
Public banks dataset (see published article here)
Related links: Public Banking Institute | Public Banking Project
