Follow this link to this article in The New Yorker. It is about the roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the mortgage crisis. This article was suggested by Richard H.
Maybe Richard H. can explain to us why if Fannie May was privatized in 1968, it took 40 years for the bubble to grow to the bursting point.
The book Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life by Robert B. Reich, is a great description of how capitalism has come to dominate democracy in our government.
When it comes to solutions, I think the book falls short. Follow the link above to see the details.
I think I have come up with a practical step that is better than any that Reich proposes in his book. You’ll also find that at the link.