The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve Board has many duties, although it is usually associated only with conducting monetary policy. That is, Federal Reserve officials determine whether to raise or lower interest rates in order to maintain price stability and foster economic growth. It is less commonly known that the Fed also provides some economic statistics. The charts below display some of the variables that are in the Fed's control - money supply and interest rates. However, these variables are not monitored only to determine monetary policy, but also reflect actual conditions.