First published in 1998. A profound transformation of the commercial banking industry has occurred in recent years. The consolidation of local, independent banks into multi-bank holding company structures has altered the landscape of commercial banking. The Transformation of Commercial Banking in the United States, 1956-1991 focuses on the effect of restrictive state branch banking laws on the consolidation of commercial banks in the United States. The central thesis of this study is that much of the change in the structure of commercial banking can be explained by the variation in state branch banking laws.