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Alan Greenspan's greatest legacy may be the Fed's independence

Jan 10, 2024
Greenspan ignored political pressure to cut interest rates so that he could bring down inflation, says author Sebastian Mallaby.
Where did Alan Greenspan, above, go wrong? "In thinking that 2% inflation was the be-all and end-all," says Sebastian Mallaby, "because it turns out, of course, that economies can be disrupted by things other than the price of eggs going up too fast."
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called the current economy resilient. Whether it actually is depends on how you define resilience.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Biden seeks to keep Powell in place, elevate Brainard at Federal Reserve

Nov 22, 2021
Brainard will be nominated for vice chair. The two officials typically agree on monetary policy but sometimes diverge on regulation.
President Joe Biden names Jerome Powell, left, as his nominee for Federal Reserve chair and Lael Brainard, right, as vice chair.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Will the Fed use regional openings to diversify its leadership?

Oct 7, 2021
A group of directors at each regional bank is in charge of forming a search committee to hire a new president.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has expressed support for diversifying the regional Fed banks.
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images

Fed says not to worry about debt right now. But we have to, eventually.

Apr 29, 2020
Politicians never want to tell voters about the need to balance the budget through tax hikes or spending cuts.
"This is not the time" to worry about debt, Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, said at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Federal Reserve via Getty Images

Can Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell?

The president isn’t happy with the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes.
President Donald Trump looks on as his nominee for the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, speaks during a press event at the White House last year.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Fed Chair Jay Powell: We’re “independent of political considerations”

Jul 12, 2018
In a 30 minute conversation, Chairman Powell discusses tariffs, political pressure on the Fed and wage stagnation.
Jerome Powell listens as President Trump announces Powell as nominee for Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, November 2, 2017.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

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Quiz: Who said it? Powell versus Yellen

The two Fed chairs have very similar mindsets when it comes to monetary policy. Can you even tell the difference?
Alex Wong, Zach Gibson/ Getty Images

Goodbye, Janet Yellen

Feb 2, 2018
The Federal Reserve's first female chair brought an era of steadiness to the central bank.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images