After the Wall Street crash of 1929, it took four years before Congress passed the Glass-Steagall act, which split commercial banking from securities dealing. (Before the legislation bank deposits were frequently diverted in support of new issues by commercial bankers' investment-banking colleagues.) Other restrictive rules continued to be made until 1940.

ECONOMIST: Investment banks

Just 20% of its loan portfolio is in residential mortgages, with the balance split between commercial (44%) and consumer (36%) loans.

FORBES: Safe Deposit

If you believe the swaps dealers, the proposal to split swaps from commercial banking is going to have disastrous consequences.

FORBES: Swaps Split Could Cost Banks $85 Billion In Capital

But Booz's Mr Banerji argues that the commercial arm is better off now because the split freed it from legal strictures associated with BAH's government work.

ECONOMIST: Management consulting

At the federal level contributions are split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats, though Indian gambling interests give more heavily to the Democrats and commercial gambling companies more to the Republicans.

ECONOMIST: Want to bet on an election?