I think that Carter was the President who approved the Chrysler bailout. While I did not think it a good idea at the time, Lee Iaccoca the Chrysler CEO worked for practically no wage until he got the company turned around and Chrysler actually paid back the loan which seemed to be a novel concept judging from comments made in one of Iaccoca's books. There is a major difference between then and now. The banking crisis was possible because of massive deregulation and practically no supervision of the banking industry. The crisis was the direct result of men with little principle using the lax government oversight to practice questionable, and unsound business methods. Not all banks and CEOs bought into the "derivatives" or whatever the practice was called because it was not economically sound. The government let the foxes in the hen house and held the door open for them. The foxes did what foxes do.