Banks are the final arbitrators of whom they lend money to.
They have always had the final say about this.
You know that isn't right.
The legalitys involved make the government the final word on who can't be loaned to.
Regulations must be studyed by anyone who works as a loan arranger.
And if the government encourages risk taking so much that it actually transfers all risk away from the loan arranger, the government has mandated this behavior.
Banks that were more strict than the official rules were not growing as fast as banks that followed the rules that provided for lots of loan rolling.
So banks with conservative lending policys were not attractive to investors, fell behind the curve with earnings and became takover targets for banks with lotsa cash.
It isn't as if the rules on rape were relaxed, it is more like locking up all the guys that didn't want to be rapists.