Household Debt in the Consumer Age: Source of Growth--Risk of Collapse

Barry Z. Cynamon, University of Chicago Steven M. Fazzari, Washington University in St. Louis Abstract The 2008 U.S. financial upheaval raises important questions about the sources of household consumption and debt growth, along with their macroeconomic effects. We argue that spending and financial preferences evolve as social norms interact with both cultural trends and institutional changes in household finance. We identify historical forces that raised consumption and debt over the past quarter century and interpret these events with Hyman Minsky's financial cycle framework. Strong consumption helped moderate recessions and boost growth since the mid 1980s. But unprecedented household debt has now culminated in a financial crisis that threatens to cause a deep recession. Recommended Citation Cynamon, Barry Z. and Fazzari, Steven M. (2008) "Household Debt in the Consumer Age: Source of Growth—Risk of Collapse," Capitalism and Society: Vol. 3 : Iss. 2, Article 3. DOI: 10.2202/1932-0213.1037 Available at: http://www.bepress.com/cas/vol3/iss2/art3 Discussion and Commentary George A. Akerlof, University of California, Berkeley, Comment on "Household Debt in the Consumer Age: Source of Growth—Risk of Collapse" (by Barry Z. Cynamon and Steven M. Fazzari) (October 2008) Readers' Reactions Doug Korty, Korty Research, Comment on "Household Debt in the Consumer Age: Source of Growth—Risk of Collapse" (by Barry Z. Cynamon and Steven M. Fazzari) (December 2008)