Read more
Excessive household debt has allowed for economic growth, but this model has become increasingly unstable. Spooner examines bankruptcy law as a potential solution.
List of contents
1. Introduction; 2. Financialised capitalism and the centrality of household debt; 3. Consumer bankruptcy theory and the case for debt relief; 4. A consumer bankruptcy marketplace; 5. The limits of contractual consumer bankruptcy; 6. The austere creditor: austerity, bankruptcy policy and government debt collection; 7. Moral hazard and bankruptcy abuse prevention; 8. Conclusion; Index.
About the author
Joseph Spooner is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science Law Department. He researches issues of law, policy and politics relating to household debt and over-indebtedness. He has worked on the World Bank's Report on the Treatment of the Insolvency of Natural Persons (2013) and the Law Reform Commission of Ireland's project on personal debt management (2010–12). He has published articles on the law and politics of bankruptcy and household debt in leading journals including the Journal of Law and Society and Modern Law Review.
Summary
Spooner examines the increasing instability of using excessive household debt as a means of maintaining economic growth. He turns to bankruptcy law as a mechanism of social insurance against the risks of a debt-dependent economy. This will appeal to anyone interested in understanding the problem of consumer debt and how to address it.
