When it passed the Federal Reserve Act in 1913, Congress did not at first expect that the Fed would engage in open market operations. An article in a Federal Reserve publication notes that after the Fed first began buying Treasury securities: “Fed officials realized that by purchasing securities on the open market, Federal Reserve Banks could affect general credit conditions across the country.”
a. What does the article mean by “general credit conditions in the country”?
b. How would the Fed’s purchase of Treasury securities affect general credit conditions in the country?