Which of the following is a responsibility of the federal open market committee (fomc)?

The agency responsible for the U.S. monetary policy by overseeing its open market operations

What is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)?

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is responsible for the monetary policy of the United States by overseeing the open market operations of the country. The FOMC is a part of the Federal Reserve System. Headed by the chair, Jerome H. Powell, the committee comprises twelve total members, including the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, John C. Williams, as the vice-chair.

Which of the following is a responsibility of the federal open market committee (fomc)?

The FOMC meets eight times a year to discuss the appropriate view on monetary policy and review existing financial and economic conditions. The long-term goals of the FOMC are to ensure sustainable economic growth for the United States and guarantee price stability. As adopted on January 24, 2012 and reaffirmed as of January 26, 2021, the FOMC’s monetary policy strategy includes promoting moderate long-term interest rates; the committee also formulates employment and inflation objectives.

The Federal Open Market Committee’s Functions

Along with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the FOMC controls three monetary policy tools: the discount rate, reserve requirements, and open market operations. The Federal Reserve Board of Governors controls the discount rate and reserve requirements, whereas the FOMC controls open market operations.

The FOMC sets the federal funds target rate; arguably, one of the most important economic factors in the world. The federal funds target rate, also known as the overnight rate, refers to the interest rate at which banks and financial institutions can borrow or lend from each other overnight.

The FOMC reacts to inflation or deflation by adjusting the federal funds target rate in accordance with its mandate to ensure price stability. The target federal funds target rate for developed economies is typically around 2% in “normal” times.

The Federal Open Market Committee’s Operations

Below is a deeper look into the FOMC’s open market operations and monetary policy decisions.

Open Market Operations

Open market operations are when the FOMC buys or sells U.S. Treasury securities to give or take liquidity in the domestic currency in the open markets. Aside from buying or selling government bonds, the FOMC conducts open market operations by entering into secured lending transactions or repurchase agreements with a commercial bank or financial institution.

Essentially, the above operations involve the central bank taking an asset from the commercial bank or financial institution and giving a cash deposit. Open market operations are done to provide liquidity and influence the money supply and short-term interest rates.

Monetary Policy

The Federal Reserve and the FOMC can employ an expansionary or contractionary monetary policy to carry out their goals and mandates. To promote economic growth and slash unemployment, the two federal agencies can implement an expansionary monetary policy, which includes either increasing the money supply or decreasing the federal funds target rate. It can also deploy both strategies.

Increasing the money supply is done by printing more money and buying securities in the open market to inject the money into the economy. However, the Federal Reserve and FOMC cannot keep boosting the economy forever through such methods as inflation can rise drastically. When inflation gets to a point that is too high, they will employ a contractionary monetary policy.

A contractionary monetary policy includes increasing the federal funds target rate (making it more expensive to borrow) and/or restricting the money supply. The money supply is restricted by selling securities on the open market; doing so brings deflationary pressure and increases the value of the currency.

Additional Resources

To keep learning and developing your knowledge base, please explore the additional relevant resources below:

  • Federal Discount Rate
  • Inflation Targeting
  • Federal Reserve (The Fed)
  • Treasury Bills (T-Bills)

Originally created by the Banking Acts of 1933 and 1935, the Federal Open Market Committee continues to set monetary policy for the United States.

by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis staff

The FOMC is the body of the Federal Reserve System that sets national monetary policy. The FOMC makes all decisions regarding the conduct of open market operations, which affect the federal funds rate (the rate at which depository institutions lend to each other), the size and composition of the Federal Reserve’s asset holdings, and communications with the public about the likely future course of monetary policy. The FOMC makes all decisions about the “stance” of U.S. monetary policy to help move the economy toward the congressionally mandated goals of maximum employment and price stability.

Congress enacted legislation that created the FOMC as part of the Federal Reserve System in 1933 and 1935.In the early years of the Fed before the creation of the FOMC, the twelve Federal Reserve Banks undertook open market operations both separately and in coordination with one another. In 1923, they formed the Open Market Investment Committee for these coordinated efforts, which was then transformed into the Open Market Policy Conference in 1930.1 A body called the Federal Open Market Committee was first convened in 1933, following the Glass-Steagall Act; but the FOMC as we know it came into effect only in March of 1936 "as constituted by Section 12A of the Federal Reserve Act as amended by the Banking Act of 1935," as the newly named chairman, Marriner Eccles, explained at that meeting.

The way the Fed conducts monetary policy and even the way it understands the economy has changed a great deal since the 1930s, but the basics of the FOMC's regular operations have stayed mostly the same.

All members of the Board of Governors and the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have a permanent voting seat2 on the FOMC; the other 11 Reserve Bank presidents serve on a rotating schedule of one-year terms. By law, the FOMC determines its own internal organization and, by tradition, the FOMC elects the Chair of the Board of Governors as its chair and the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as its vice chair. Although not every Fed leader votes at every FOMC meeting, each president brings their unique point of view and the perspective of their District to every meeting of the FOMC. The rotating groups are always the same:

  • One president from: Boston, Philadelphia, and Richmond;
  • One president from Cleveland and Chicago;
  • One president from Atlanta, St. Louis, and Dallas, and
  • One president from Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco.3

The FOMC holds regular meetings eight times each year—about every six weeks. Transcripts and many other historical meeting materials are available to the public on the Board of Governors' website back to 1936.4 In 2011, Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that he would hold quarterly press conferences following certain FOMC meetings. In 2019, Chair Jerome Powell began to hold those press conferences after every FOMC meeting.5

The most relevant and accurate information about the Federal Open Market Committee and its work can always be found online at federalreserve.gov.

The photo illustration for this essay, showing the room where the FOMC meets, is a U.S. government work in the public domain. 


Written as of September 14, 2021. See disclaimer.

What is the role of the Federal Open Market Committee FOMC )?

The FOMC holds eight regularly scheduled meetings per year. At these meetings, the Committee reviews economic and financial conditions, determines the appropriate stance of monetary policy, and assesses the risks to its long-run goals of price stability and sustainable economic growth.

Which of the following is a responsibility of the Federal Open?

The Fed's main duties include conducting national monetary policy, supervising and regulating banks, maintaining financial stability, and providing banking services. The Federal Open Market Committee is the Fed's monetary policy-making body and manages the country's money supply.

What are 5 responsibilities of the Federal Reserve the Fed?

A nation's central bank is usually given a mix of responsibilities including determining the money supply, supervising banks, providing banking services for the government, lending to banks during crises, and promoting consumer protection and community development.

What is the responsibility of the Fed?

Supervising and regulating banks and other important financial institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers. Maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.