Appointing Central Bankers The Politics of Monetary Policy in the United States and the European Monetary Union

This book examines monetary policy by focusing on how the President and the Senate influence monetary policy by appointing Fed members. The book attempts to answer three questions about the appointment process and its effects. First, do politicians influence monetary policy via Fed appointments? Second, who influences the process -- the President alone or both the President and the Senate? Third, what explains the structure of the Fed appointment process? The study extends the analysis of the Fed to the European Central bank.