Final answer:
The biggest economic risk arising from economic mismanagement, as demonstrated during the 2008-2009 Great Recession, includes a severe recession characterized by high unemployment and lower incomes, particularly impacting lower income groups, and contributing to social polarization and disruption in economic sectors that depend on credit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The biggest economic risk that has come from economic mismanagement is the potential for a severe recession such as the Great Recession of 2008-2009. During that time, there was significant economic mismanagement, particularly within the financial sector, and this led to dramatic increases in unemployment and falling incomes. The recession was in part attributed to financial system mismanagement by bankers and financial managers, often considered to be part of the 1% of the income distribution.
However, the burdens of the recession - particularly unemployment - fell heavily on the lower income quintiles, illustrating a stark picture of inequality.
Such economic mismanagement poses a threat not only to financial stability but also to societal cohesion. The group that was responsible for the crisis was not the one to bear the brunt of its consequences, which can lead to social polarization.
Moreover, when banks are under stress, as they were during this recession, the availability of loans decreases, which hurts various sectors of the economy that rely on credit. This was clearly demonstrated during the Great Recession, where business investments, home constructions, and car manufacturing suffered significantly.