Alan Greenspan was a titan among Federal Reserve chairs. What's his legacy?
6/22/20266 min
Alan Greenspan, who led the Federal Reserve for nearly two decades, died Monday at his home in Washington. He was 100.
Greenspan was the rare celebrity among central bankers, lionized for his economic stewardship in the 1990s — and a reputation tarnished by the global financial crisis of 2008.
With a career that spanned decades and four presidents, what legacy does he leave behind?
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This episode was produced by Mia Venkat and Karen Zamora.
It was edited by Pallavi Gogoi, Christopher Intagliata and Tinbete Ermyas.
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First 90 secondsJuana Summers· Host0:00
It's Consider This, where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, remembering a titan among Federal Reserve chairs.
Speaker 2· Soundbite0:08
It's my pleasure to welcome Alan Greenspan back to official service to his country.
Juana Summers· Host0:13
Alan Greenspan, the longtime Federal Reserve chairman, being sworn into office by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. Greenspan led the central bank for nearly 20 years. Much of his tenure was marked by falling unemployment and an economic boom. But two years after he retired came the 2008 financial crisis. Critics argue that it was his hands-off approach to regulation that set the stage for the crash. Greenspan admitted that his approach wasn't perfect. Here he is speaking to the House Oversight Committee in October 2008.
Speaker 2· Soundbite0:45
I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interest of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and the equity in the firms.
Juana Summers· Host1:01
[instrumental music] Greenspan died Monday at the age of 100. Consider this, Alan Greenspan ran the Federal Reserve for nearly two decades and was a celebrity among central bankers. What legacy does he leave behind? From NPR, I'm Juana Summers.
Speaker 31:20
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