Has the Fed Been a Failure? Asks CATO on its Cover Page
November/December 2012
Has the Fed Been a Failure?
By
George Selgin, William D. Lastrapes and Lawrence H. White
In the aftermath of the Panic of 1907, Congress appointed a National Monetary Commission. In 1910 the Commission published a shelf-full of studies evaluating the problems of the postbellum National Banking system and exploring alternative regimes. A few years later Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act.
Today, in the aftermath of the Panic of 2007, and as the one hundredth birthday of the Federal Reserve System approaches, it seems appropriate to once again take stock of our monetary system. Has our experiment with the Federal Reserve been a success or a failure? Does the Fed's track record during its history merit celebration, or should Congress consider replacing it with something else? Is it time for a new National Monetary Commission?
http://www.cato.org/policy-report/no...d-been-failure
