The Chairman of the Federal Reserve is arguably the single person with the most influence over the global economy, and thatpower only grows during times of crisis. In 2012, Ben Bernanke stepped into an economic power vacuum left by cash-strapped (or politically paralyzed) governments, putting in place some of his most creative polices since the 2008 financial meltdown. Over the course of the year, Bernanke used his high profile to warn lawmakers about massive, impending budget cuts and tax increases, coining the term “fiscal cliff” in the process, and marshaled the Fed towards adopting a much more aggressive stance on monetary policy, promising to continue to purchase $85 billion a month in mortgage-backed securities and long-term treasury debt until the unemployment rate drops below 6.5%.