This volume investigates the historical origins and global implementation of financial deregulation measures enacted in the post-Bretton Woods era. Alexis Drach, Cassis, and Youssef compile archival research to examine how various nations transitioned away from the regulated financial frameworks established after World War II. The authors utilize a comparative methodology to identify patterns in policy shifts and the subsequent impact on global economic structures.

Experts recognize this volume as a significant contribution to the historical study of financial policy due to its reliance on primary archival sources. Scholars frequently note that the text provides a rigorous, comparative framework for understanding the structural changes in global finance during the late twentieth century.