Federal Reserve System - Legal and Policy Perspectives – 6923

Spring 2015
John Yanish ’87

The purpose of the course is to provide an enhanced understanding of the Federal Reserve System. The course will cover legal underpinnings of the Fed’s core responsibilities in monetary policy, supervision and regulation, financial services, and financial stability. The instructors, both lawyers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will also invite senior officials and policymakers from the Federal Reserve in each of these areas to provide students current perspectives on these mission-critical functions of our central bank.

The course focus will include review of the Federal Reserve Act, the Dodd Frank Act, and related matters, educating students on the nature and extent of Federal Reserve System authority, both as originally conceived and as this authority evolved through the 100 years of the Federal Reserve’s existence. With respect to current powers and authority, there will be a particular emphasis on Federal Reserve actions taken in response to the financial crisis of 2007-08 and its aftermath. Following the course, students will have a strong understanding of the Federal Reserve’s legal underpinnings, the nature and extent of its authority, and an enhanced perspective on banking and the national economy.