Which institution is primarily responsible for monetary policy in the United States?

• A. The President and Congress
• B. The Federal Reserve
• C. The Supreme Court
• D. The Department of the Treasury

Answer: (B)

Monetary policy is about managing the money supply and interest rates to influence inflation and employment. In the United States, that job belongs to the Federal Reserve, the central bank. It uses tools like adjusting the federal funds rate through the Federal Open Market Committee, buying or selling government securities, and setting reserve requirements for banks. This arrangement helps keep long-term economic goals in mind and is designed to function with some independence from daily political pressures. The President and Congress are responsible for fiscal policy—taxing and spending—while the Department of the Treasury handles government finances and debt issuance, and the Supreme Court deals with legal questions. So the institution primarily responsible for monetary policy is the Federal Reserve.