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The New Masters of Capital
Book

The New Masters of Capital

American Bond Rating Agencies and the Politics of Creditworthiness

Cornell UP, 2005 plus...

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Innovative
  • Overview

Recommendation

Few writers have closely examined the work of bond rating agencies – even though their decisions can move markets, open or close the doors to capital, and even bring down governments. Timothy J. Sinclair manages to keep his prose relatively accessible, despite his many references to research that could appeal only to academics. Although his detailed analysis of various sociological characterizations of agency power may be of little interest to the general reader, getAbstract believes that his main point – rating agencies exercise power and influence well beyond the bond markets – deserves careful consideration by anyone interested in economics, finance, politics or the issue of globalization.

Take-Aways

  • Bond rating agencies assess a borrower's ability to repay. This assessment can determine both access to capital and the price of capital.
  • United States rating agencies, especially Moody's and Standard & Poor's, have enormous power.
  • Their decisions have a political impact both in the U.S. and abroad.

About the Author

Timothy J. Sinclair teaches international political economy at the University of Warwick. He is the co-author of Approaches to World Order and the editor of Global Governance: Critical Concepts in Political Science, Structure and Agency in International Capital Mobility and Approaches to Global Governance Theory.