Transition and Continuity at the Federal Reserve

I would like to talk to you tonight about the evolution in the way the Federal Reserve goes about conducting monetary policy. As my title suggests, one theme is that a transition is taking place. Of course, the most striking transition at the Federal Reserve this year is the change in leadership. On January 31, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan served his last day in office and chaired his last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. His successor, Ben Bernanke, took over the f...