Janet Yellen

Chair of the Federal Reserve Board

The second most powerful job in the U.S. will likely soon be held, for the first time, by a woman. On Oct. 9, President Obama nominated Federal Reserve vice chair Janet Yellen to head the central bank, a promotion that would make her the most important figure in the global economy.

Yellen, who is arguably the most experienced nominee ever, should have no problem getting through the Senate confirmation process. A Ph.D. in economics, she began her career with groundbreaking research about things like how lower wages can lead to higher unemployment. She taught at the University of California, Berkeley, ran...

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