An excerpt fromThe Reckoningstates: "In 1999, with little public or investor protest, the U.S. government, in the name of economic freedom, replaced the Glass-Steagall Act with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which allowed the consolidation of commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms, and insurance companies."

What was the Glass-Steagall Act? What was it meant to do? What were the long term consequences of removing Glass-Steagall?