Viewpoints
Opinion

Against Central Bank Independence

Against Central Bank Independence
The American flag hung on the Federal Reserve bank, Washington, D.C., in a file photo. Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
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Commentary
President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has sparked a resurgence of interest in central bank independence. Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said he would step down from his vice chair position earlier this month, avoiding a direct conflict with the administration that could have triggered his demotion or firing—and a lengthy court battle on the legality of such an action. Trump has intimated that he wants to replace Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and has explicitly stated his desire for lower interest rates.
Alexander W. Salter
Alexander W. Salter
Author
Alexander William Salter is the Georgie G. Snyder Associate Professor of Economics in the Rawls College of Business and the Comparative Economics Research Fellow with the Free Market Institute, both at Texas Tech University. He is a co-author of “Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions,” published by Cambridge University Press. In addition to his numerous scholarly articles, he has published nearly 300 opinion pieces in leading national outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News Opinion, and The Hill. Salter earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics at George Mason University and his B.A. in Economics at Occidental College. He was an AIER Summer Fellowship Program participant in 2011.