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The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. Its primary responsibilities are to regulate banking institutions, maintain the stability of the financial system, and influence monetary policy (it implements measures, such as interest rate adjustments and reserve requirements, to control money supply and promote economic growth). During the Great Recession, the Fed played a critical role in stabilizing the economy. It took various actions, including lowering interest rates and adjusting reserve requirements, to promote lending and mitigate the impact of the financial crisis.

The reserve requirement is the minimum amount of funds that a bank must hold in reserve against its deposit liabilities. By adjusting the reserve requirement ratio, the Fed can influence the money supply and the amount of credit available in the economy. Lowering the reserve requirement ratio allows banks to loan out more, while increasing the ratio means that banks must keep more money in reserve and lend out less. During the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve Bank took several actions related to reserve requirements. Here are some key measures: 1. In 2008, the Fed lowered the primary credit rate (the interest rate banks pay when borrowing money from the Federal Reserve) to encourage borrowing by banks. This action indirectly relaxed the reserve requirements, as it made it more affordable for banks to meet their reserve obligations. 2. In December 2008, the Fed started paying interest on reserve balances held by banks. This new policy allowed banks to earn interest on their excess reserve balances and further encouraged them to hold more reserves rather than lending out all of their available funds. 3. In January 2009, the Fed began implementing a term auction facility (TAF), which allowed banks to borrow funds from the Fed at an auction-determined interest rate. This measure essentially removed the stigma associated with borrowing from the Fed's discount window and made obtaining funds to meet reserve requirements more accessible. In summary, during the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the Federal Reserve Bank took several actions to indirectly lower the reserve requirement, ease the lending conditions for banks, and encourage lending to boost the economy.