The History & Function of U.S. Federal Reserve System

Gr 6 Up—Today's economic troubles increase the visibility and importance of various governmental units entrusted with our individual, national, and international financial statuses. The Federal Reserve System acts as our central bank and controls much of the fiscal activity within our country. This disappointing program attempts to describe he Fed's responsibilities, but falls short in clarity, content, and delivery. To attempt an explanation of a governmental unit as complex as the Fed in half an hour is difficult, and the material here is delivered in a superficial and rushed manner. More in-depth information is needed, particularly in the area of how all these economic factors are interrelated. The lackluster, monotone narration, the propensity to have visuals unrelated to the text, unexciting graphics, and the lack of a chapter selection option impact negatively on the sketchy content. Also, in such a brief program, the value of including the full swearing-in ceremony of a member of the Fed's Board of Governors is questionable. The low-definition images will be quite noticeable on larger monitors. Finally, the program is already dated, despite its 2011 release date: George W. Bush is the President, Alan Greenspan is chairman of the Fed (he left in 2006), and several members of the governing board who are no longer serving are identified.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL