This paper examines the legal basis for the Federal Reserve Board's actions relating to the acquisition of Bear Stearns by J.P. Morgan in March of 2008 and other measures taken by the Board to support the U.S. financial system at that time

The paper elicits a mechanism by which private leverage choices exhibit strategic complementarities through the reaction of monetary policy. When everyone engages in maturity transformation, authorities have little choice but facilitating refinancing. In turn, refusing to adopt a risky balance...