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83-641: The Federal Open Market Committee ( FOMC ) is a committee within the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) that is charged under United States law with overseeing the nation's open market operations (e.g., the Fed's buying and selling of United States Treasury securities ). This Federal Reserve committee makes key decisions about interest rates and the growth of the United States money supply. Under
166-571: A "unique structure that is both public and private" and is described as " independent within the government " rather than " independent of government ". The System does not require public funding, and derives its authority and purpose from the Federal Reserve Act , which was passed by Congress in 1913 and is subject to Congressional modification or repeal. The four main components of the Federal Reserve System are (1)
249-470: A Governor in 2003 of the inflation targeting approach. He explained that even a central bank like the Fed, which does not orient its monetary policies around an explicit, published inflation target, nonetheless takes account of its goal of low and stable inflation in formulating its interest rate targets. Bernanke summed up his overall assessment of inflation targeting as follows: Inflation targeting, at least in its best-practice form, consists of two parts:
332-642: A Nobel Prize-winning economist, withdrew his nomination to the board in June [2011] in the face of Republican opposition. Richard Clarida , a potential nominee who was a Treasury official under George W. Bush , pulled out of consideration in August [2011]", one account of the December nominations noted. The two other Obama nominees in 2011, Janet Yellen and Sarah Bloom Raskin , were confirmed in September. One of
415-500: A check-clearing system was created in the Federal Reserve System. It is briefly described in The Federal Reserve System—;Purposes and Functions as follows: By creating the Federal Reserve System, Congress intended to eliminate the severe financial crises that had periodically swept the nation, especially the sort of financial panic that occurred in 1907. During that episode, payments were disrupted throughout
498-552: A depository institution's large corporate customers or counterparties, including other financial institutions. The Reserve Banks' wholesale services include electronically transferring funds through the Fedwire Funds Service and transferring securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies, and certain other entities through the Fedwire Securities Service. The Federal Reserve System has
581-578: A depository institution's retail clients—individuals and smaller businesses. The Reserve Banks' retail services include distributing currency and coin, collecting checks, electronically transferring funds through FedACH (the Federal Reserve's automated clearing house system), and beginning in 2023, facilitating instant payments using the FedNow service. By contrast, wholesale payments are generally for large-dollar amounts and often involve
664-657: A foreign central bank or government or non-private international financing organization; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; or (4) a part of a discussion or communication among or between members of the board of governors and officers and employees of the Federal Reserve System related to items (1), (2), or (3). See Federal Reserve System Audits: Restrictions on GAO's Access (GAO/T-GGD-94-44), statement of Charles A. Bowsher. The board of governors in
747-622: A manner consistent with these objectives and with the nation's broader economic objectives. Under the Federal Reserve Act, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System must appear before Congressional hearings at least twice per year regarding "the efforts, activities, objectives and plans of the Board and the Federal Open Market Committee with respect to the conduct of monetary policy". The statute requires that
830-586: A policy framework of constrained discretion and a communication strategy that attempts to focus expectations and explain the policy framework to the public. Together, these two elements promote both price stability and well-anchored inflation expectations; the latter in turn facilitates more effective stabilization of output and employment. Thus, a well-conceived and well-executed strategy of inflation targeting can deliver good results with respect to output and employment as well as inflation. Although communication plays several important roles in inflation targeting, perhaps
913-617: A role in the U.S. payments system. The twelve Federal Reserve Banks provide banking services to depository institutions and to the federal government. For depository institutions, they maintain accounts and provide various payment services, including collecting checks, electronically transferring funds, and distributing and receiving currency and coin. For the federal government, the Reserve Banks act as fiscal agents, paying Treasury checks; processing electronic payments; and issuing, transferring, and redeeming U.S. government securities. In
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#1732772304329996-483: A second term." Allan R. Landon , former president and CEO of the Bank of Hawaii , was nominated in early 2015 by President Obama to the board. In July 2015, President Obama nominated University of Michigan economist Kathryn M. Dominguez to fill the second vacancy on the board. The Senate had not yet acted on Landon's confirmation by the time of the second nomination. Daniel Tarullo submitted his resignation from
1079-463: A special meeting or a telephone conference, or to vote on a proposed action by proxy . At each regularly scheduled meeting, the Committee votes on the policy to be carried out during the interval between meetings. Attendance at meetings is restricted because of the confidential nature of the information discussed and is limited to Committee members, nonmember Reserve Bank presidents, staff officers,
1162-548: A structure unique among central banks, and is also unusual in that the United States Department of the Treasury , an entity outside of the central bank, prints the currency used. The federal government sets the salaries of the board's seven governors, and it receives all the system's annual profits after dividends on member banks' capital investments are paid, and an account surplus is maintained. In 2015,
1245-833: A voting membership. All of the Reserve Bank presidents, even those who are not currently voting members of the FOMC, attend Committee meetings, participate in discussions, and contribute to the Committee's assessment of the economy and policy options. The Committee meets eight times a year, approximately once every six weeks. By law, the FOMC must meet at least four times each year in Washington, D.C. Since 1981, eight regularly scheduled meetings have been held each year at intervals of five to eight weeks. If circumstances require consultation or consideration of an action between these regular meetings, members may be called on to participate in
1328-673: A year in telephone consultations and other meetings are held when needed. There is very strong consensus among economists against politicising the FOMC. The Federal Advisory Council, composed of twelve representatives of the banking industry, advises the board on all matters within its jurisdiction. There are 12 Federal Reserve Banks, each of which is responsible for member banks located in its district. They are located in Boston , New York , Philadelphia , Cleveland , Richmond , Atlanta , Chicago , St. Louis , Minneapolis , Kansas City , Dallas , and San Francisco . The size of each district
1411-491: Is Scott v. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City , in which the distinction is made between Federal Reserve Banks, which are federally created instrumentalities, and the board of governors, which is a federal agency. United States House Committee on Financial Services The United States House Committee on Financial Services , also referred to as the House Banking Committee and previously known as
1494-404: Is called fractional-reserve banking . As a result, banks usually invest the majority of the funds received from depositors. On rare occasions, too many of the bank's customers will withdraw their savings and the bank will need help from another institution to continue operating; this is called a bank run . Bank runs can lead to a multitude of social and economic problems. The Federal Reserve System
1577-567: Is composed of several layers. It is governed by the presidentially-appointed board of governors or Federal Reserve Board (FRB). Twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks , located in cities throughout the nation, regulate and oversee privately owned commercial banks. Nationally chartered commercial banks are required to hold stock in, and can elect some board members of, the Federal Reserve Bank of their region. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets monetary policy by adjusting
1660-465: Is considered to be one of the House's most powerful committees. It is currently chaired by Republican Patrick McHenry from North Carolina, having assumed office in 2023. He previously served as the committee's Ranking Member. The Ranking Member is Democrat Maxine Waters from California, who previously chaired the committee under a Democrat majority in the House. Under the rules of the 113th Congress,
1743-551: Is coordinated with the U.S. Treasury , which has responsibility for formulating U.S. policies regarding the exchange value of the dollar. The Committee consists of the seven members of the Federal Reserve Board , the president of the New York Fed , and four of the other eleven regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents, serving one-year terms. The Chair of the Federal Reserve has been invariably appointed by
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#17327723043291826-558: Is nominated by their Bank's board of directors, but the nomination is contingent upon approval by the board of governors. Presidents serve five-year terms and may be reappointed. Each regional Bank's board consists of nine members. Members are broken down into three classes: A, B, and C. There are three board members in each class. Class A members are chosen by the regional Bank's shareholders, and are intended to represent member banks' interests. Member banks are divided into three categories: large, medium, and small. Each category elects one of
1909-483: Is the principal organ of United States national monetary policy . The Committee sets monetary policy by specifying the short-term objective for the Fed's open market operations, which is usually a target level for the federal funds rate (the rate that commercial banks charge between themselves for overnight loans). The FOMC also directs operations undertaken by the Federal Reserve System in foreign exchange markets , although any intervention in foreign exchange markets
1992-582: Is to have a mechanism for private banks to lend funds to one another. This market for funds plays an important role in the Federal Reserve System as it is the basis for its monetary policy work. Monetary policy is put into effect partly by influencing how much interest the private banks charge each other for the lending of these funds. Federal reserve accounts contain federal reserve credit, which can be converted into federal reserve notes . Private banks maintain their bank reserves in federal reserve accounts. The Federal Reserve regulates private banks. The system
2075-683: The Committee on Banking and Currency , is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking and housing industries. The Financial Services Committee also oversees the work of the Federal Reserve , the United States Department of the Treasury , the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and other financial services regulators. The House Committee on Financial Services
2158-667: The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980, Congress reaffirmed that the Federal Reserve should promote an efficient nationwide payments system. The act subjects all depository institutions, not just member commercial banks, to reserve requirements and grants them equal access to Reserve Bank payment services. The Federal Reserve plays a role in the nation's retail and wholesale payments systems by providing financial services to depository institutions. Retail payments are generally for relatively small-dollar amounts and often involve
2241-544: The Federal Reserve , or simply the Fed ) is the central banking system of the United States . It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act , after a series of financial panics (particularly the panic of 1907 ) led to the desire for central control of the monetary system in order to alleviate financial crises. Over the years, events such as the Great Depression in
2324-522: The Fiscal Year 2020, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing delivered 57.95 billion notes at an average cost of 7.4 cents per note. Federal funds are the reserve balances (also called Federal Reserve Deposits ) that private banks keep at their local Federal Reserve Bank. These balances are the namesake reserves of the Federal Reserve System. The purpose of keeping funds at a Federal Reserve Bank
2407-533: The President of the United States and has regular meetings with the Secretary of the Treasury . The Chair has formal responsibilities in the international arena as well. The board of directors of each Federal Reserve Bank District also has regulatory and supervisory responsibilities. If the board of directors of a district bank has judged that a member bank is performing or behaving poorly, it will report this to
2490-582: The 1930s and the Great Recession during the 2000s have led to the expansion of the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System. Congress established three key objectives for monetary policy in the Federal Reserve Act: maximizing employment, stabilizing prices, and moderating long-term interest rates. The first two objectives are sometimes referred to as the Federal Reserve's dual mandate. Its duties have expanded over
2573-519: The Board of Governors are in continual contact with other policy makers in government. They frequently testify before congressional committees on the economy, monetary policy , banking supervision and regulation , consumer credit protection , financial markets , and other matters. The Board has regular contact with members of the President's Council of Economic Advisers and other key economic officials. The Chair also meets from time to time with
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2656-769: The Chairman appear before the House Committee on Financial Services in February and July of odd-numbered years, and before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in February and July of even-numbered years. There is a very strong consensus against basing selection of committee members primarily on the candidate's political views. The committee's practice of interest rate targeting has been criticized by some commentators who argue that it may risk an inflationary bias. Possible alternative rules that enjoy some support among economists include
2739-577: The FOMC Committee membership changes at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the year. 2025 Members - New York, Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, Kansas City 2025 Alternate Members - New York†, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Dallas, Minneapolis †For the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the First Vice President is the alternate for the President. Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to
2822-503: The FOMC vote on policy decisions. The FOMC determines its own internal organization and, by tradition, elects the chair of the board of governors as its chair and the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as its vice chair. Formal meetings typically are held eight times each year in Washington, D.C. Nonvoting Reserve Bank presidents also participate in Committee deliberations and discussion. The FOMC generally meets eight times
2905-447: The Fed charges banks for these loans is called the discount rate (officially the primary credit rate). By making these loans, the Fed serves as a buffer against unexpected day-to-day fluctuations in reserve demand and supply. This contributes to the effective functioning of the banking system, alleviates pressure in the reserves market and reduces the extent of unexpected movements in the interest rates. For example, on September 16, 2008,
2988-468: The Fed processes a variety of financial transactions involving trillions of dollars. Just as an individual might keep an account at a bank, the U.S. Treasury keeps a checking account with the Federal Reserve, through which incoming federal tax deposits and outgoing government payments are handled. As part of this service relationship, the Fed sells and redeems U.S. government securities such as savings bonds and Treasury bills, notes and bonds. It also issues
3071-441: The Federal Reserve Act in 1913. Today the Federal Reserve System has responsibilities in addition to stabilizing the financial system. Current functions of the Federal Reserve System include: Banking institutions in the United States are required to hold reserves—amounts of currency and deposits in other banks—equal to only a fraction of the amount of the bank's deposit liabilities owed to customers. This practice
3154-946: The Federal Reserve Banks as tax-exempt federally created instrumentalities whose profits belong to the federal government, but this interest is not proprietary. In Lewis v. United States , the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stated that: "The Reserve Banks are not federal instrumentalities for purposes of the FTCA [the Federal Tort Claims Act ], but are independent, privately owned and locally controlled corporations." The opinion went on to say, however, that: "The Reserve Banks have properly been held to be federal instrumentalities for some purposes." Another relevant decision
3237-489: The Federal Reserve Board authorized an $ 85 billion loan to stave off the bankruptcy of international insurance giant American International Group (AIG). In its role as the central bank of the United States, the Fed serves as a banker's bank and as the government's bank. As the banker's bank, it helps to assure the safety and efficiency of the payments system. As the government's bank or fiscal agent,
3320-586: The Federal Reserve System and national banks, which by law must be members of the System. The Board also issues regulations to carry out major federal laws governing consumer credit protection , such as the Truth in Lending , Equal Credit Opportunity , and Home Mortgage Disclosure Acts . Many of these consumer protection regulations apply to various lenders outside the banking industry as well as to banks. Members of
3403-543: The Federal Reserve System has a number of supervisory and regulatory responsibilities in the U.S. banking system, but not complete responsibility. A general description of the types of regulation and supervision involved in the U.S. banking system is given by the Federal Reserve: The Board also plays a major role in the supervision and regulation of the U.S. banking system. It has supervisory responsibilities for state-chartered banks that are members of
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3486-475: The Federal Reserve System was to address banking panics . Other purposes are stated in the Federal Reserve Act , such as "to furnish an elastic currency, to afford means of rediscounting commercial paper , to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes". Before the founding of the Federal Reserve System, the United States underwent several financial crises. A particularly severe crisis in 1907 led Congress to enact
3569-467: The Federal Reserve System, bank holding companies (companies that control banks), the foreign activities of member banks, the U.S. activities of foreign banks, and Edge Act and "agreement corporations" (limited-purpose institutions that engage in a foreign banking business). The Board and, under delegated authority, the Federal Reserve Banks, supervise approximately 900 state member banks and 5,000 bank holding companies. Other federal agencies also serve as
3652-681: The Federal Reserve banks may be audited by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO has authority to audit check-processing, currency storage and shipments, and some regulatory and bank examination functions–though there are restrictions to what the GAO may audit. Under the Federal Banking Agency Audit Act, 31 U.S.C. section 714(b), audits of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks do not include (1) transactions for or with
3735-406: The Federal Reserve earned a net income of $ 100.2 billion and transferred $ 97.7 billion to the U.S. Treasury, and 2020 earnings were approximately $ 88.6 billion with remittances to the U.S. Treasury of $ 86.9 billion. Although an instrument of the U.S. government, the Federal Reserve System considers itself "an independent central bank because its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by
3818-440: The Federal Reserve in foreign exchange markets. The FOMC must reach consensus on all decisions. The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is a permanent member of the FOMC; the presidents of the other banks rotate membership at two- and three-year intervals. All Regional Reserve Bank presidents contribute to the committee's assessment of the economy and of policy options, but only the five presidents who are then members of
3901-705: The Financial Services Committee's jurisdiction includes: The Banking and Currency Committee was created on December 11, 1865, to take over responsibilities previously handled by the Ways and Means Committee . It continued to function under this name until 1968, when it assumed the current name. Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 56 (R), H.Res. 57 (D), H.Res. 71 (amending rank) The Financial Services Committee operates with six subcommittees . The jurisdiction over insurance
3984-626: The Manager of the System Open Market Account , and a small number of Board and Reserve Bank staff. Before each regularly scheduled meeting of the FOMC, System staff prepare written reports on past and prospective economic and financial developments that are sent to Committee members and to nonmember Reserve Bank presidents. Reports prepared by the Manager of the System Open Market Account on operations in
4067-416: The System Open Market Account also reports on account transactions since the previous meeting. After these reports, the Committee members and other Reserve Bank presidents turn to policy. Typically, each participant expresses their own views on the state of the economy and prospects for the future and on the appropriate direction for monetary policy. Then each makes a more explicit recommendation on policy for
4150-531: The U.S. banking system in general. Governors are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate for staggered 14-year terms. One term begins every two years, on February 1 of even-numbered years, and members serving a full term cannot be renominated for a second term. "[U]pon the expiration of their terms of office, members of the Board shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed and have qualified." The law provides for
4233-757: The United States, the Federal Reserve serves as the lender of last resort to those institutions that cannot obtain credit elsewhere and the collapse of which would have serious implications for the economy. It took over this role from the private sector "clearing houses" which operated during the Free Banking Era ; whether public or private, the availability of liquidity was intended to prevent bank runs. Through its discount window and credit operations, Reserve Banks provide liquidity to banks to meet short-term needs stemming from seasonal fluctuations in deposits or unexpected withdrawals. Longer-term liquidity may also be provided in exceptional circumstances. The rate
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#17327723043294316-399: The banking business, opposed a central bank structure directed by political appointees. The legislation that Congress ultimately adopted in 1913 reflected a hard-fought battle to balance these two competing views and created the hybrid public-private, centralized-decentralized structure that we have today. The balance between private interests and government can also be seen in the structure of
4399-612: The board of governors expire. The current members of the board of governors are: In late December 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Jeremy C. Stein , a Harvard University finance professor and a Democrat , and Jerome Powell , formerly of Dillon Read , Bankers Trust and The Carlyle Group and a Republican . Both candidates also have Treasury Department experience in the Obama and George H. W. Bush administrations respectively. "Obama administration officials [had] regrouped to identify Fed candidates after Peter Diamond ,
4482-430: The board of governors, (2) the Federal Open Market Committee, (3) the twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, and (4) the member banks throughout the country. The seven-member board of governors is a large federal agency that functions in business oversight by examining national banks. It is charged with the overseeing of the 12 District Reserve Banks and setting national monetary policy. It also supervises and regulates
4565-401: The board of governors. This policy is described in law: Each Federal reserve bank shall keep itself informed of the general character and amount of the loans and investments of its member banks with a view to ascertaining whether undue use is being made of bank credit for the speculative carrying of or trading in securities, real estate, or commodities, or for any other purpose inconsistent with
4648-545: The board on February 10, 2017, effective on or around April 5, 2017. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) consists of 12 members, seven from the board of governors and 5 of the regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents. The FOMC oversees and sets policy on open market operations , the principal tool of national monetary policy. These operations affect the amount of Federal Reserve balances available to depository institutions, thereby influencing overall monetary and credit conditions. The FOMC also directs operations undertaken by
4731-430: The central bank's objectives, plans, and assessments of the economy could pay increasing dividends in the future. In keeping with his 2003 speech as Governor, Bernanke as Chairman attempted to promote greater transparency in Fed communications. The Fed now publicly indicates the range within which it would like to see future inflation. Members of the FOMC as of November 1, 2024: Federal Reserve Bank Rotation on
4814-451: The coming intermeeting period (and for the longer run, if under consideration). Finally, the Committee must reach a consensus regarding the appropriate course for policy, which is incorporated in a directive to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York—the Bank that executes transactions for the System Open Market Account. The directive is cast in terms designed to provide guidance to the Manager in
4897-462: The committee as its chair since 1935, solidifying the perception of the two roles as one. The Federal Open Market Committee was formed by the Banking Act of 1933 (codified at 12 U.S.C. § 263 ) and did not include voting rights for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors . The Banking Act of 1935 revised these protocols to include the Board of Governors and to closely resemble
4980-429: The conduct of day-to-day open market operations. The directive sets forth the Committee's objectives for long-run growth of certain key monetary and credit aggregates. It also sets forth operating guidelines for the degree of ease or restraint to be sought in reserve conditions and expectations with regard to short-term rates of growth in the monetary aggregates. Policy is implemented with emphasis on supplying reserves in
5063-539: The country because many banks and clearinghouses refused to clear checks drawn on certain other banks, a practice that contributed to the failure of otherwise solvent banks. To address these problems, Congress gave the Federal Reserve System the authority to establish a nationwide check-clearing system. The System, then, was to provide not only an elastic currency—that is, a currency that would expand or shrink in amount as economic conditions warranted—but also an efficient and equitable check-collection system. In
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#17327723043295146-624: The domestic open market and in foreign currencies since the last regular meeting are also distributed. At the meeting itself, staff officers present oral reports on the current and prospective business situation, on conditions in financial markets, and on international financial developments. In its discussions, the Committee considers factors such as trends in prices and wages, employment and production, consumer income and spending, residential and commercial construction, business investment and inventories, foreign exchange markets, interest rates, money and credit aggregates, and fiscal policy. The Manager of
5229-401: The judgment of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, any member bank is making such undue use of bank credit, the Board may, in its discretion, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend such bank from the use of the credit facilities of the Federal Reserve System and may terminate such suspension or may renew it from time to time. The Federal Reserve plays
5312-482: The maintenance of sound credit conditions; and, in determining whether to grant or refuse advances, rediscounts, or other credit accommodations, the Federal reserve bank shall give consideration to such information. The chairman of the Federal reserve bank shall report to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System any such undue use of bank credit by any member bank, together with his recommendation. Whenever, in
5395-429: The most important is focusing and anchoring expectations. Clearly there are limits to what talk can achieve; ultimately, talk must be backed up by action, in the form of successful policies. Likewise, for a successful and credible central bank like the Federal Reserve, the immediate benefits of adopting a more explicit communication strategy may be modest. Nevertheless, making the investment now in greater transparency about
5478-451: The nation's coin and paper currency . The U.S. Treasury, through its Bureau of the Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing , actually produces the nation's cash supply and, in effect, sells the paper currency to the Federal Reserve Banks at manufacturing cost, and the coins at face value. The Federal Reserve Banks then distribute it to other financial institutions in various ways. During
5561-542: The present-day FOMC and was amended in 1942 to give the current structure of twelve voting members. Four of the Federal Reserve Bank presidents serve one-year terms on a rotating basis. The rotating seats are filled from the following four groups of banks, one bank president from each group: Boston, Philadelphia, and Richmond; Cleveland and Chicago; Atlanta, St. Louis, and Dallas; and Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco. The New York President always has
5644-460: The president or by anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government, it does not receive funding appropriated by Congress, and the terms of the members of the board of governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms." The Federal Reserve has been criticized by some for its approach to managing inflation , perceived lack of transparency, and its role in economic downturns. The primary declared motivation for creating
5727-682: The primary federal supervisors of commercial banks; the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency supervises national banks, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation supervises state banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System. Some regulations issued by the Board apply to the entire banking industry, whereas others apply only to member banks, that is, state banks that have chosen to join
5810-478: The removal of a member of the board by the president "for cause". The board is required to make an annual report of operations to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The chair and vice chair of the board of governors are appointed by the president from among the sitting governors. They both serve a four-year term and they can be renominated as many times as the president chooses, until their terms on
5893-407: The system. Private banks elect members of the board of directors at their regional Federal Reserve Bank while the members of the board of governors are selected by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate . The Federal Banking Agency Audit Act, enacted in 1978 as Public Law 95-320 and 31 U.S.C. section 714 establish that the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System and
5976-483: The target for the federal funds rate , which generally influences market interest rates and, in turn, US economic activity via the monetary transmission mechanism . The FOMC consists of all seven members of the board of governors and the twelve regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents, though only five bank presidents vote at a time—the president of the New York Fed and four others who rotate through one-year voting terms. There are also various advisory councils. It has
6059-561: The terms of the original Federal Reserve Act , each of the Federal Reserve banks was authorized to buy and sell in the open market bonds and short term obligations of the United States Government , bank acceptances, cable transfers, and bills of exchange. Hence, the reserve banks were at times bidding against each other in the open market. In 1922, an informal committee was established to execute purchases and sales. The Banking Act of 1933 formed an official FOMC. The FOMC
6142-509: The three class A board members. Class B board members are also nominated by the region's member banks, but class B board members are supposed to represent the interests of the public. Lastly, class C board members are appointed by the board of governors, and are also intended to represent the interests of the public. The Federal Reserve Banks have an intermediate legal status, with some features of private corporations and some features of public federal agencies. The United States has an interest in
6225-513: The traditional monetarist formula of targeting stable growth in an appropriately chosen monetary aggregate, and inflation targeting , now practiced by many central banks . Under inflationary pressure in 1979, the Fed temporarily abandoned interest rate targeting in favor of targeting non-borrowed reserves. It concluded, however, that this approach led to increased volatility in interest rates and monetary growth, and reversed itself in 1982. Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke sympathetically as
6308-456: The vacancies was created in 2011 with the resignation of Kevin Warsh , who took office in 2006 to fill the unexpired term ending January 31, 2018, and resigned his position effective March 31, 2011. In March 2012, U.S. Senator David Vitter ( R , LA ) said he would oppose Obama's Stein and Powell nominations, dampening near-term hopes for approval. However, Senate leaders reached a deal, paving
6391-464: The vice-chair. In April 2014, Stein announced he was leaving to return to Harvard on May 28 with four years remaining on his term. At the time of the announcement, the FOMC "already is down three members as it awaits the Senate confirmation of ... Fischer and Lael Brainard , and as [President] Obama has yet to name a replacement for ... Duke. ... Powell is still serving as he awaits his confirmation for
6474-553: The way for affirmative votes on the two nominees in May 2012 and bringing the board to full strength for the first time since 2006 with Duke's service after term end. Later, on January 6, 2014, the United States Senate confirmed Yellen's nomination to be chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors; she was the first woman to hold the position. Subsequently, President Obama nominated Stanley Fischer to replace Yellen as
6557-516: The years, and currently also include supervising and regulating banks , maintaining the stability of the financial system, and providing financial services to depository institutions , the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions. The Fed also conducts research into the economy and provides numerous publications, such as the Beige Book and the FRED database . The Federal Reserve System
6640-507: Was designed as an attempt to prevent or minimize the occurrence of bank runs, and possibly act as a lender of last resort when a bank run does occur. Many economists, following Nobel laureate Milton Friedman , believe that the Federal Reserve inappropriately refused to lend money to small banks during the bank runs of 1929; Friedman argued that this contributed to the Great Depression . Because some banks refused to clear checks from certain other banks during times of economic uncertainty,
6723-452: Was designed out of a compromise between the competing philosophies of privatization and government regulation. In 2006 Donald L. Kohn , vice chairman of the board of governors, summarized the history of this compromise: Agrarian and progressive interests, led by William Jennings Bryan, favored a central bank under public, rather than banker, control. However, the vast majority of the nation's bankers, concerned about government intervention in
6806-469: Was set based upon the population distribution of the United States when the Federal Reserve Act was passed. The charter and organization of each Federal Reserve Bank is established by law and cannot be altered by the member banks. Member banks do, however, elect six of the nine members of the Federal Reserve Banks' boards of directors. Each regional Bank has a president, who is the chief executive officer of their Bank. Each regional Reserve Bank's president
6889-592: Was transferred in 2001 to the then-House Banking and Financial Services Committee from the House Energy and Commerce Committee . Since that time it had been the purview of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises. But "with plans to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expected to take up much of that panel's agenda, insurance instead [was] moved to a new Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity [as of
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