Vicious circle

When the results are not detrimental but beneficial, the term virtuous cycle is used instead.

Examples

Subprime mortgage crisis

The contemporary subprime mortgage crisis is a complex group of vicious circles, both in its genesis and in its manifold outcomes, most notably the late 2000s recession. A specific example is the circle related to housing. As housing prices decline, more homeowners go "underwater", when the market value of a home drops below that of the mortgage on it. This provides an incentive to walk away from the home, increasing defaults and foreclosures. This, in turn, lowers housing values further from over-supply, reinforcing the cycle.

The foreclosures reduce the cash flowing into banks and the value of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) widely held by banks. Banks incur losses and require additional funds, also called "recapitalization". If banks are not capitalized sufficiently to lend, economic activity slows and unemployment increases, which further increase the number of foreclosures. Economist Nouriel Roubini discussed vicious circles in the housing and financial markets in interviews with Charlie Rose in September and October 2008.

Virtuous cycles

A virtuous cycle is the opposite of a vicious cycle. By involving all stakeholders in managing ecological areas, a virtuous circle can be created where improved ecology encourages the actions that maintain and improve the area.

Other

Other examples include the poverty cycle, sharecropping, and the intensification of drought. In 2021, Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg described the recurring need for lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic as a vicious circle that could only be broken by a legally-required vaccination program.