Shows how the politics of banking crises has been transformed by the growing 'great expectations' among middle class voters that governments should protect their wealth.

Part I. Banking Crises and the Rise of Great Expectations: 1. Great expectations, banking crises, and democratic politics; 2. Great expectations: banking crises, policy responses and politics; 3. Household wealth and financialization in the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil since the nineteenth century; 4. The emergence of great expectations in the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil; Part II. Evolving Policy Responses to and Political Consequences of Banking Crises since the Nineteenth Century: 5. Changing expectations and policy responses to banking crises; 6. Banking crises and voters over the long run; Part III. Banking Crises, Policy and Politics in the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil since the Nineteenth Century: 7. Banking crises in the United Kingdom in an era of low expectations; 8. A banking crisis in the United Kingdom in an era of great expectations; 9. Banking crises and politics in the United States before 1945; 10. The 2007-2009 crisis and its aftermath in the United States; 11. Banking crises in Brazil in an era of low expectations; 12. Banking crises in Brazil in an era of rising expectations; 13. Conclusion.