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Job seekers line up to apply for positions at an American Apparel store April 2, 2009, in New York City.
The 2007-09 economic crisis was deep and protracted enough to become known as "the Great Recession" and was followed by what was, by some measures, a long but unusually slow recovery.

President Obama Signs the Dodd-Frank Act
Dodd-Frank Act

This wide-ranging legislation was signed by President Obama in 2010

Two men carry the Lehman Brother’s corporate sign to an auction house in London.
Support for Specific Institutions

The failures of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and the bailout of AIG occurred in 2008

Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, pauses during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. Bernanke said lending conditions in the U.S. are still "far from normal."
Fed Credit Programs

The Fed introduced various credit programs to deal with the 2007-09 financial crisis

Store closing signs at a furniture store in 2009
Great Recession

This 2007-09 economic downturn was the longest since WWII

A sign advertising refinancing services is posted in a vacant lot April 29, 2008, in Stockton, California.
Subprime Mortgage Crisis

The 2007-10 crisis stemmed in part from an expansion of mortgages to high-risk borrowers