The U.S. Federal Reserve’s role has evolved over the past several decades — and not in a good way, says author Lev Menand. A law professor and former economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Menand argues here — and in his new book, The Fed unbound: Central banking in a time of crisis — that the Fed’s expanded responsibility of backstopping shadow banks and other speculative players during economic downturns serves mainly to enable more (and more severe) financial crises. Related resources: Guide to recessions  For industry-leading insights, support tools and more, subscribe to Capital Ideas at getcapitalideas.com. The Capital Ideas website is not intended for use outside the U.S. In Canada visit capitalgroup.com/ca for Capital Group insights.