Every presidential election in the US is, of course, important. But given the serious and urgent challenges both my country and the world face, few have been as important as the decision to be made on Tuesday.

Whoever wins will enter the White House at a daunting time. We face the first economic crisis of the true global economy – a crisis for which America’s own financial institutions must take a great deal of responsibility. Every indicator is heading the wrong way. Little wonder that polls show four out of five Americans feel the country is headed in the wrong direction.