A Chance to Stack the Fed

Reagan's appointments may tip the balance among doves, hawks and owls

Preston Martin, Henry Wallich, J. Charles Partee, Emmett Rice, Martha Seger. To most Americans, those names could be a random selection from a telephone book or maybe the supporting cast of the movie Revenge of the Nerds. But though they garner little recognition, Martin, Wallich & Co. are some of the most important people in America. They help determine how fast consumer prices rise, how many jobs are available and how difficult it is to get a car loan or mortgage. Obscure but powerful, they are Chairman Paul Volcker's colleagues on the Federal Reserve system's board of governors.

President Reagan will...

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