Council of Economic Advisers

Council of Economic Advisers, advisory body within the executive branch of the United States government comprising three professional members who are appointed by the president and subject to approval by the Senate. The duties of the Council of Economic Advisers include the collection and analysis of economic data and the formulation and appraisal of economic policies.

The council was created by the Employment Act of 1946, which was signed into law on February 20, 1946, by Pres. Harry S. Truman. The legislation was stimulated by two major considerations. The first, a holdover from the Depression era, was the practical concern that a peacetime economy would not be able to achieve full employment. The second was the influence of John Maynard Keynes on economic theory. Keynesian economics theorized that free-market economies might settle at below full-employment equilibria, thus necessitating government stimulus to push the economy toward full employment. Prior to the creation of the council, economic advice was given by different agencies as well as individuals brought into the president’s circle on an ad hoc basis.

By design the Council of Economic Advisers is a neutral agency without ties to a particular constituency, and it is often headed and staffed by economists on leave from academic positions. That provides an opportunity for new theoretical and applied research to be brought to bear on policy questions. The relatively short-term nature of the appointments dissuades any particular person from becoming entrenched in an insulating bureaucracy. It is hoped that this allows the council to impartially give the best advice of the day. The council has also served as a proving ground for the likes of Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, and Janet Yellen, each of whom served a stint as chair of the council prior to becoming chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.