Remarks before Economic Club of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 7, 2010 ; "There is a great deal of legitimate debate still to take place within the FOMC on the subject of quantitative easing and the pros and cons and costs and benefits of further monetary accommodation. Whatever we...

Remarks before the Vancouver Board of Trade, Vancouver, British Columbia, October 1, 2010 ; "Without exception, all the business leaders I interview cite nonmonetary factors--fiscal policy and regulatory constraints or, worse, uncertainty going forward--and better opportunities for earning a...

At the end of September 2008, U.S. policymakers had been working for more than a year to contain the shock waves from plunging home prices and the subsequent financial market turmoil. For the Federal Reserve, the crisis has given new meaning to the adage that extraordinary times call for...

In 1913, Congress purposefully created the Federal Reserve as an independent central bank, which created a fundamental tension: how to ensure the Fed remains accountable to the electorate without losing its independence. Over the years, there have been changes in the Fed’s structure to improve...

Remarks before Economic Club of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 7, 2010 ; "There is a great deal of legitimate debate still to take place within the FOMC on the subject of quantitative easing and the pros and cons and costs and benefits of further monetary accommodation. Whatever we...

Remarks before the Vancouver Board of Trade, Vancouver, British Columbia, October 1, 2010 ; "Without exception, all the business leaders I interview cite nonmonetary factors--fiscal policy and regulatory constraints or, worse, uncertainty going forward--and better opportunities for earning a...

Remarks before the Stemmons Corridor Business Association, Dallas, Texas, February 8, 2011 ; "I would be very wary of expanding our balance sheet further; indeed, given current economic and financial conditions, it is hard for me to envision a scenario where I would not use my voting position...

In an essay in the 2011 annual report, San Francisco Fed President and CEO John C. Williams describes the Fed's move out of the shadows toward greater openness and transparency, the necessity for this change, and where there is more that can be done.