This chapter provides an overview of key characteristics of the financial sector relevant to business and public policy and the processes of deregulation and globalization that have reshaped it since World War II. These processes have been driven by the market initiatives and lobbying of private financial actors, as well as by the actions of states in seeking to promote economic growth and the interests of the financial firms headquartered on their territories. The general trend has been for states to provide the increasingly globalized architecture for markets, for instance through trade and investment agreements, and then these markets are regulated and stabilized by public and private bodies, often operating globally. Over time, global finance seen has a growth in the importance of the European Union and the global south, including China. A persistent tension is the interest and capacity of the financial industry to innovate in ways that expand the industry but bring risks and crises that governments then need to manage. The chapter discusses the major approaches for analyzing business and public policy in finance, including the implications of the 2008 global financial crisis for these.