1. Using at least 3 appropriately documented and credible references (no Investopedia, Wikipedia, or any other pedia), what were the principal causes of the recent financial crisis and Great Recession? Are Government policies included that encouraged housing purchases for those who could not afford them, artificially low interest rates implemented by the Federal Reserve, banks and mortgage brokers who were greedy, the failure of Government regulators to provide proper oversight to the banks and other financial institutions, individuals who borrowed and spent more than they should have, or some other causes?
2. Examine ethical behavior within firms in relation to financial management. Provide at least two (2) recent (in the last 5 years) examples (do not include Enron, WorldCom, Bernie Madoff, etc.) of companies that have been guilty of ethics-based malfeasance related to financial management. Using at least two quality references for each example, what were the specific sanctions that were imposed and explain why the sanctions and penalties were appropriate?