Having served as deputy secretary at the US Treasury between March 2014 and January 2017, Sarah Bloom Raskin is well versed in what keeps the country's economy ticking and the dangers it faces. With the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting the US economy is set to cool to 2.1% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020, Ms Bloom Raskin sees uncertainty as one of the most pernicious challenges to a revival of economic activity. Speaking to The Banker at the FT Banking Forum in New York in October 2019, Ms Bloom Raskin discussed what contributes to that uncertainty, and what policy measures are available to support economic growth at a time of extraordinarily low interest rates and unprecedented international sanctions.
Q: The IMF warns that, based on current low global growth forecasts for 2020, there isn't much room for policy mistakes. Is there room for any other policy action that can support economic growth in the US?