Since 2011, the Bank of England has had a Financial Policy Committee. Just as the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee has responsibility for ensuring price stability, this new committee has responsibility for ensuring the financial stability of the UK. In the short video below, Don Kohn, one of the external members of the FPC explains the functions and workings of this committee.
My colleague and former PhD student Gareth Campbell has created a website about the British Railway Mania - click here . This episode has been described by the Economist as probably the greatest bubble in human history. Gareth's website provides background on the Mania and posits some explanations for the 'bubble'. In his explanation of why the bubble happened, Gareth places a lot of emphasis on investor myopia regarding future dividends and uncalled capital. His study of investors during the episode does not support the view that this episode was fuelled by naive and irrational investors.