This paper is a statistical analysis of the manner in which the Federal Reserve determines the level of the Federal funds rate target, one of the most publicized and anticipated economic indicators in the financial world. The analysis presents two econometric challenges: (1) changes in the...

The traditional view of the monetary transmission mechanism rests on the premise that the Federal Reserve (Fed) has full control over overnight rates via open market operations. By contrast, this paper tries to establish empirically the Fed's ability to manipulate overnight rates via...