Federal Monetary Policy

Congress has delegated responsibility for monetary policy to the Federal Reserve (the Fed), but retains oversight responsibilities to ensure that the Fed is adhering to its statutory mandate of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. The Fed has defined stable prices as a longer-run goal of 2% inflation. The Feds responsibilities as the nations central bank fall into four main categories: monetary policy, provision of emergency liquidity through the lender of last resort function, supervision of certain types of banks and other financial firms for safety and soundness, and provision of payment system services to financial firms and the government. The Feds monetary policy function is one of aggregate demand managementstabilising business cycle fluctuations. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), consisting of 12 Fed officials, meets periodically to consider whether to maintain or change the current stance of monetary policy. The Feds conventional tool for monetary policy is to target the federal funds ratethe overnight, interbank lending rate. It influences the federal funds rate through open market operations, transactions that have traditionally involved Treasury securities. This book provides an overview of monetary policy and recent developments, a summary of the Feds actions following the financial crisis, and ends with a brief overview of the Feds regulatory responsibilities.