THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE FINANCIAL CRISIS By Ben S. Bernanke

In March 2012, Chairman Ben S. Bernanke delivered a four-part lecture series about the Federal Reserve and the financial crisis that emerged in 2007. The series began with a lecture on the origins and missions of central banks, followed by a lecture that discussed the role and actions of the Federal Reserve in the period after World War II. In the final two lectures, the Chairman reviewed some of the causes of, and policy responses to, the recent financial crisis, focusing specifically on the actions of the Federal Reserve.