Ben S Bernanke: The Federal Reserve's balance sheet – an update Speech by Mr Ben S Bernanke, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, at the Federal Reserve Board Conference on Key Developments in Monetary Policy, Washington DC, 8 October 2009.
The original speech, which contains various links to the documents mentioned, can be found on the US Federal Reserve System’s website. *  *  *  To fight a recession, the standard prescription for a central bank is to lower its target shortterm interest rate, thereby easing financial conditions and supporting economic growth.