The Fed

Bob analyzes the myth of Federal Reserve independence, exposing its political nature and long history of serving power.

Jonathan Newman joins Ryan and Connor this week to discuss the latest developments in Trump’s campaign to “takeover” the Fed, the current state of the jobs market, and the misconceptions people have about how economists value the choice not to work.

Assistant editor Joshua Mawhorter joins Tho Bishop and Connor O’Keeffe on the Power and Market Podcast. The three discuss Trump’s acquisition of a stake in Intel, consider how monetary policy contributes to a lot of the national health problems MAHA is focused on, and react to Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s claims to want to protect the “independence” of the Federal Reserve ring hollow. Following sound monetary policies is more important than the theoretical “independence” of the central bank.

In case you haven‘t noticed, housing prices are not rising like they did a short time ago, thanks to higher interest rates. Bringing down those rates, however, will increase inflation and make housing less affordable.

Brendan Brown reviews Ben Bernanke's 21st Century Monetary Policy. Bernanke gives a blow-by-blow account of his actions as Fed chair and justifies them as the "evolving" nature of the Fed. Unsurprisingly, he refuses to recognize the malaise of monetary inflation.

Greg Kaza reviews Ben Bernanke's 21st Century Monetary Policy: The Federal Reserve from the Great Inflation to COVID-19. The book is a candid yet self-justifying defense of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy that refuses to acknowledge how stimulus has driven inflation.

Peter Earle reviews Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions. This edited volume delivers a timely critique of the Federal Reserve's discretionary monetary policy, arguing that a binding legal structure is needed to check its mission creep.

Rothbard argued that the Fed stripped away the natural checks of free banking, paving the way for endless credit expansion and inflationary cycles.

In this issue of The Misesian, we take a look at how states use their fiscal and financial powers to convert the productivity and resources of the private sector into warmaking power for the state’s elites.