The fiscal crisis of 2008, which caused the deep economic recession, revealed a figure of contentions in policies conducted by Bankss. In this respect, the Troubled Asset Relief Program ( TARP ) and the bailout became the turning point in the disclosure of contentions in Bankss ‘ policies because, in malice of the bailout, Bankss kept paying off high fillips, which frequently reached seven or eight figures amounts, to their top executives. In fact, such policy raised a figure of ethical issues, among which the societal duty of Bankss became the primary concern, because Bankss used authorities assistance, i.e. money of American revenue enhancement remunerators, to pay extortionate fillips to its top executives, whereas the American economic system and the overpowering bulk of Americans was faltering, confronting the menace of consistent impairment of their fiscal place. Obviously, from the deontological position, such policy was unjust and unfair because it contradicted to bing ethical norms, whereas, from the useful position, this policy was rather sensible because it allowed Bankss to continue its top executives and, therefore, to keep their competitory place and to transport on their selling public presentation successfully. However, even the useful attack should takes into consideration the good of the bulk that makes the policy of paying of high fillips to exceed executives of Bankss unethical, because the fiscal place of the bulk of Americans was despairing and Bankss should salvage costs of taxpayers declining from paying off extortionate fillips to its top executives.
First of wholly, the authorities bailout aimed at the bar of the bankruptcy of largest American Bankss that could hold caused the rapid downswing in the economic development of the US. Consequences of the ruin of taking American Bankss could impact the full American society, whereas the recent economic recession was the light manifestation of the economic crisis, which could hold been provoked by the ruin of the largest American Bankss. In such a context, the authorities bailout was a redemption non merely to American Bankss but to the American economic system at big.
However, Americans Bankss acted irresponsibly, while obtaining the fiscal assistance from the authorities and, therefore, from American revenue enhancement remunerators. To set it more exactly, harmonizing to the Bank for International Settlements, the full derived functions market had a gross recognition exposure of $ 3.5 trillion at the terminal of 2009. Obviously, even a little fraction of that sum could stand for a ample call on the taxpayers if a clearinghouse hit the skids. So much for eliminating too-big-to-fail ( Morgenson, 2010 ) . In such a manner, the authorities decided to salvage American Bankss and, in this respect, the determination taken by the authorities was right. The job was that Bankss used the financess obtained from the authorities inefficaciously. In fact, Treasure Secretary, Geithner, called this clip “ an epoch of irresponsibly high fillips ” ( Schmidt, 2009 ) .
In this respect, it is possible to mention to some facts about fillips, the largest American Bankss paid away to their top executives after the bailout. For case, Citigroup, one of the biggest receivers of authorities bailoutA money, gave employees $ 5.33 billion in fillips for 2008 ( Bernard, 2009 ) . Similarly, the Bank of America, which besides received $ 45 billion in TARP money, paid $ 3.3 billion in fillips, with 172 employees having at least $ 1 million. Of those, 28 received fillips of more than $ 3 million. Merrill Lynch, which Charlotte ( N.C. ) -based Bank of America acquired during the recognition crisis, paid out $ 3.6 billion ( Bernard, 2009 ) . In such a manner, Bankss, which were in a despairing fiscal place paid off high fillips to its top executives, irrespective of the fiscal and economic crises and regardless of the bailout. At this point, policies conducted by Bankss were unethical in respect to their clients and American taxpayers because it is their money American Bankss used to pay off high fillips to their top executives. Such policies conducted by Bankss contradicted to bing ethical regulations and norms. Therefore, from the deontological position, American Bankss acted unethically because they should cut down fillips to their top executives in the clip of economic recession, when all Americans had to salvage money. In contrast, wagess came even at Bankss where hapless consequences foretold the economic crisis that sent them to Washington for a authorities deliverance ( Despite Bailout, Bank Chiefs Received Bonuses, 2008 ) .
In such a state of affairs, American Bankss should take into consideration the place and involvements of the bulk. From the useful position, American Bankss should cut down fillips to its top executives for the bulk ‘s good because the bulk of Americans had to pay revenue enhancements, whereas their money were sent to Bankss, where, alternatively of utilizing the authorities financess efficaciously, Bankss spent the money on extortionate fillips to their top executives. At this point, it is possible to mention to Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, who said that all Bankss – even those that have repaid authorities assistance – demand to keep the sum they pay their leaders and tie compensation to long-run ends ( Schmidt, 2009 ) . In fact, the place of the Treasury Secretary is useful because it stands for involvements of the bulk.
At the same clip, from the deontological position, policies conducted by American Bankss contradicted to bing ethical norms and regulations. Obviously, the ternary whammy of the fiscal crisis, the trillion-dollar authorities bailout and the return of munificent fillips to many on Wall Street while unemployment in the United States is stuck above 9 per centum has cast the familiarity between political and concern elites in a new, frequently more icteric visible radiation ( Freeland, 2011 ) . Obviously, the high fillips paid off to exceed executives of American Bankss are unfair, taking into consideration the high unemployment rate. In fact, the authorities financess comprised of money of American taxpayers could be directed to make new occupation topographic points and to back up unemployed Americans. Alternatively, the bailout became the agencies to pay off high fillips to exceed executives of American Bankss.
Obviously, American Bankss should non pay high fillips to their top executives because these policies contradicted to bing ethical norms and regulations. Therefore, they were unacceptable from the deontological position. At the same clip, American Bankss ‘ policies were unacceptable from the useful position every bit good because they did non take into consideration involvement and good of the bulk of the American society. In blunt contrast, the bailout and policies conducted by American Bankss focused on involvements and good of top executives of Bankss but non on involvements and good of the bulk. Hence, such policies are unacceptable from both useful and deontological position.
The public dissatisfaction grew stronger as more and more new facts approximately high fillips paid to exceed executives of American Bankss became known to the populace. In this respect, it is deserving adverting the fact that the authorities attempted to better the TARP and to minimise the hazard of the uneffective usage of financess in footings of the plan. The plan set limitations on some executive compensation for take parting Bankss, but did non restrict wages and fillips unless they had the consequence of promoting inordinate hazard to the establishment. Banks were barred from giving aureate parachutes to going executives and subtracting some executive wage for revenue enhancement intents ( Despite Bailout, Bank Chiefs Received Bonuses, 2008 ) . Consequently, the TARP has proved to be a failure in respect to the effectual usage of financess.
However, what is even more of import is the fact that American Bankss conducted irresponsible and unethical policies. They had no ethical right to maintain fillips for their top executives extortionately high. From different ethical positions, their policies were wholly incorrect and could non be justified ethically. At the same clip, they can be justified by top executives because they put their personal involvements beyond involvements of American revenue enhancement remunerators, the overpowering bulk of the American society and even beyond involvements of the Bankss they work in. To set it more exactly, Bankss could salvage considerable financess, if they refused from paying off high fillips to their top executives. In fact, they could salvage about $ 30 one million millions, in instance of refusal from paying off the fillips to their top executives. In the clip of the economic recession, $ 30 excess one million millions could ease the place of Bankss and assist them to retrieve faster after the fiscal crises. Furthermore, this money could hold helped the American economic system to retrieve and to minimise negative effects of the economic recession. In add-on, the effectual usage of the financess Bankss obtained in footings of the bailout could lend to the creative activity of new occupation topographic points. The latter means better economic chances for approximately 10 % of Americans, who are unemployed. The growing of new occupation topographic points implies the economic growing every bit good. The economic growing in its bend, increases the national wealth and opens larger chances for the prosperity and better life for the bulk of Americans, if the national wealth is distributed reasonably but non appropriated by top executives of American Bankss and other representatives of the economic elite of the US as is the instance of the recent economic recession and the bailout.
Therefore, taking into history all above mentioned, it is of import to put accent on the fact that policies conducted by American Bankss were unethical. From the deontological position, American Bankss should non pay high fillips to its top executives because this would belie to bing ethical norms. In fact, Bankss should non utilize public financess to increase the personal wealth of top executives. Such policies are irresponsible and unethical. Similarly, from the useful position, high fillips paid to exceed executives of American Bankss in the clip of economic recession were harmful for the bulk, whereas the primary concern of the utilitarianism is the common good or the good of the bulk. Consequently, policies conducted by American Bankss served to the good of their top executives entirely, whereas the bulk suffered from the profound economic recession, while money of American revenue enhancement remunerators were spent on fillips paid away to exceed executives of American Bankss alternatively of passing the money on the recovery of the national economic system.