The crisis in the capital markets is not merely the result of venal personalities - although there are many in this story - but a system that allows for full expression of those characteristics. Looking beyond the undoubted greed exhibited by corrupted actors, Wall Street on Trial critically examines the structural imbalances within the contemporary American regulatory framework, the reasons for the failure of federal oversight, and the long-term political implications of the erosion of confidence in the probity of the system.