Deregulation, Intensity of Competition, Industry Evolution, and the Productivity Growth of U.S. Commercial Banks

We study the influence of the evolution in intrastate and interstate deregulations on the total factor productivity growth of U.S. commercial banking during 1971-95. We consider statewide deregulations in intrastate branching, intrastate multibank holding company (MBHC), interstate multibank holding company, and interstate MBHC de novo branching regulations. Results indicate that (1) long-standing banking restrictions negatively affected banks' productivity growth, and (2) relaxing restrictions on intrastate branching expansion had a positive long-run influence upon banks' productivity growth. The effect of interstate MBHC deregulations is largely short run, and it is negative in the long run for interstate MBHC de novo branching deregulations.