(ECONOMICS) the central bank of the United States; often called "the Fed" for short. Sole bank of issue for the US dollar since 1971*; issuer of nearly all US currency since 1914.
Created in December 1913 through the Federal Reserve Act; while signed into law by Pres. Wilson, the basic outline of the FRB was developed by the Aldrich-Vreeland Committee (see Aldrich-Vreeland Act) during the Taft Administration (1909-1913).
In addition to issuing currency, the Fed is responsible for some (but not all) oversight of banks; management of the nation's money supply (using purchases and sales of US Treasury securities; see monetary policy); and management of a national check clearing system.
The Fed includes two central managing committees, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). It also has 12 district banks; each is known as a Federal Reserve Bank.
The Federal Reserve System is a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).
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*Until 1971, the US Treasury issued a small share of bank notes, or "national notes." They were almost identical in appearance to Federal Reserve notes.
Between 1863 and 1935, federally chartered banks national banks were allowed to issue currency equal to 90% of US treasury securities deposited with the US Treasury. After 1914, when the Fed commenced operations, it nearly stopped entirely.
Created in December 1913 through the Federal Reserve Act; while signed into law by Pres. Wilson, the basic outline of the FRB was developed by the Aldrich-Vreeland Committee (see Aldrich-Vreeland Act) during the Taft Administration (1909-1913).
In addition to issuing currency, the Fed is responsible for some (but not all) oversight of banks; management of the nation's money supply (using purchases and sales of US Treasury securities; see monetary policy); and management of a national check clearing system.
The Fed includes two central managing committees, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). It also has 12 district banks; each is known as a Federal Reserve Bank.
The Federal Reserve System is a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).
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*Until 1971, the US Treasury issued a small share of bank notes, or "national notes." They were almost identical in appearance to Federal Reserve notes.
Between 1863 and 1935, federally chartered banks national banks were allowed to issue currency equal to 90% of US treasury securities deposited with the US Treasury. After 1914, when the Fed commenced operations, it nearly stopped entirely.
The Federal Reserve System has twelve district banks, whose management is chose by bank holding companies. The president of each district bank is himself likely to have been an officer of a bank holding company. Hence, regulatory capture was built into the system from the beginning.
by Abu Yahya May 05, 2010
A sexual relationship involving three partners, all of whom have sexual contacts with each other. C.f. an open triangle, in which two of the members do NOT have sexual relations with each other.
An obvious attribute of a closed triangle is that at least two of the members must be bisexual or homosexual.
An obvious attribute of a closed triangle is that at least two of the members must be bisexual or homosexual.
A common sexual fantasy for both men and women is the "closed triangle"; it's appeared as a theme in several novels, including Ernest Hemingway's _The Garden of Eden_. As a literary theme, however, it nearly always ends sadly, perhaps because even in their fantasies writers are bound by plausible expectations.
by Abu Yahya March 21, 2010
(FINANCE) a company that exists for the sole purpose of owning a controlling interest in the several branches of a bank.
Owing to the interplay of US federal and state banking laws, it is often necessary for a bank to incorporate itself as a separate and distinct company in different states, or for different business functions (e.g., capital management, underwriting/investment banking, savings banking, etc.).
One of the exasperating benefits that bank holding companies get is a further limitation of liability. Often, the structure of the bank holding company is such that one of the firms owned (like Washington Mutual Bank, Inc.) can be insolvent, without resulting in the liquidation of the holding company.
Owing to the interplay of US federal and state banking laws, it is often necessary for a bank to incorporate itself as a separate and distinct company in different states, or for different business functions (e.g., capital management, underwriting/investment banking, savings banking, etc.).
One of the exasperating benefits that bank holding companies get is a further limitation of liability. Often, the structure of the bank holding company is such that one of the firms owned (like Washington Mutual Bank, Inc.) can be insolvent, without resulting in the liquidation of the holding company.
Practically every financial intermediary in the USA is now owned by a bank holding company. They're totally insidious!
by Abu Yahya May 05, 2010
(ECONOMICS) Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate). Does not include discouraged workers. Also referred to as "headline unemployment" because it is the statistic reported in the news.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
U-3 is the official unemployment rate in the USA; it excludes passive jobseekers (people who are just looking for available job openings without applying). Passive jobseekers are counted as part of the labor force in Europe, but not in the USA. Prior to the 2008 economic crisis, this caused unemployment rates in the USA to be about 1% lower than they would have been if the BLS had used European methods of estimating.
by Abu Yahya July 16, 2010
(MATHEMATICS) a number consisting of a real number and an imaginary number; imaginary numbers are multiples of the square root of -1.
by Abu Yahya April 23, 2010
In the social sciences, refers to the effectiveness with which a social benefit reaches its intended beneficiaries. When most of the cost of a particular social good is absorbed by intermediaries, such as scalpers and profiteers, distributional efficiency is low.
The state-owned auditorium hands out a fixed number of free tickets to students to promote the arts, but nearly all of them sell the tickets to scalpers for the money. It's very poor distributional efficiency.
by abu yahya July 11, 2008
exceptionally prone to seeing the scurrilous, sexy, or kinky aspect of everything; obsessed with sex; prone to seeing sexual overtones to nonsexual behavior.
A dirty minded person may be hypocritical and unctuous, but read filthy motives into the acts of other people. For example, in the movie "American Beauty," the military officer wrongly assumes that his son's interactions with his neighbor are homosexual, rather than commercial--projecting his own repressed sexuality onto others (with deadly results).
A dirty minded person may be hypocritical and unctuous, but read filthy motives into the acts of other people. For example, in the movie "American Beauty," the military officer wrongly assumes that his son's interactions with his neighbor are homosexual, rather than commercial--projecting his own repressed sexuality onto others (with deadly results).
The dirty minded obscene person does not shamelessly exult in his bawdy language, nor does he use it without self-consciousness... The dirty minded person has only partially internalized the taboos that he violates...
Joel Feinberg, _Offense to Others_, p.267
Joel Feinberg, _Offense to Others_, p.267
by Abu Yahya February 23, 2010