BIS Review 84/2007  3  These factors, more than other differences in tax, accounting, or legal regulatory regimes, account for the bulk of the declines' share of equity and debt raised in the United States by companies around the world. And this shift is something that we benefit from, not just in the direct sense that U.S. financial institutions play an important role in those markets, but in the broader sense that we will gain from the improvements in economic growth that come from financial market development around the world. But in this context, we need to be more attentive to the risk that specific aspects of our system, regulations or other constraints, create a greater disincentive to locate a financial business here, or to invest here, or to raise capital here, than would have been the case five or ten years ago. We need to take a careful look at how we regulate financial activity in a world where capital is more mobile, and the structure of the financial system has diverged substantially from the system for which our regulatory framework was designed. That does not mean we should contemplate weaker regulation or lower standards. The strength of the U.S. system is in part the result of the confidence we have developed in the integrity and resilience of our markets, in part by establishing strong standards for investor protection, market practices, and safety and soundness. Sustaining this confidence will be critical to the future strength of our financial system.
We will benefit from more rapid growth in the rest of the world, but at the same time we need to be more attentive to addressing a range of challenges that could ultimately damage the prospect for future growth in living standards here at home. I want to talk about challenges we face in four areas: •  sustaining support for global economic integration,  •  the role of public policy in education and other areas that are critical to our capacity to adapt to change,  •  regulation and the role of the market, and  •  macroeconomic policy. Let me start with openness. The pressures that have come with globalization and technological change have led many to suggest that we should become less open as a country, that we should slow the pace of integration, or that we should provide greater insulation or protection from competition for selective parts of the U.S. economy. Moving in this direction would, I believe, be a fundamental mistake. More than ever before our fortunes are linked to those of the global economy. If anything, we need to become more open, not less; more open to trade in goods and services, but also to investment, to people and to ideas.