The fourth branch of government

President Obama backs Ben Bernanke for another term as Federal Reserve chairman. In a new book, David Wessel of the Wall Street Journal examines the extraordinary steps taken by Bernanke in his effort to stave off the worst financial panic since the Great Depression.

Guests

• David Wessel: Economics editor for The Wall Street Journal, frequent contributor for NPR's Morning Edition and author of "In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic."
• Peter Coy: Economics editor at BusinessWeek.

Resources

• David Wessel in the Wall Street Journal
• David Wessel on NPR's Fresh Air
• About Peter Coy