Trust and Independence in Economic Policy

The Federal Reserve meeting minutes offered no surprise—a majority of members thought inflation a bigger threat than unemployment, which was obvious given the vote. US President Trump called for a Democrat-appointed Fed governor to resign. In the broader context, investors may worry about whether the Fed still has the appearance of being independent. In a fiat currency system, trust is key and even the appearance of undermining independent policy or data is dangerous—in this case, also threatening the US dollar’s reserve role.