Savings and loans were not high finance outfits, they were mostly local, small banks that made bad bets.
Source(s) for popular opinion across that date range?
I doubt you'd find much polling. The movies Wall Street (1987) and Other People's Money (1991) would be the next best thing for a pop culture view of the finance industry.
Sure, thanks, good points. Could also add Tom Wolfe's bestseller "Bonfire of the Vanities" to that time frame, and the Michael Lewis tell-all "Liar's Poker".