Currently, the United States obviously has some serious economic problems. However, there are a couple of things which Ben Bernanke and the Fed and the US government could easily do to help speed up the recovery.
1. Set up national workshops, similar to what FDR did during the Great Depression. These workshops do not have to cost near as much, or be as long, but they could help create jobs and complete projects. For example, civilians could be hired to help build or patrol the border fence in the southwest, help fight crime in major cities, and beautify public places in towns across America. Not only would this program create jobs, but it would also complete various tasks around the country.
2. Create stricter regulations for major Wall Street companies, especially banking and loaning institutions. A recession occurs once every few years because a new problem on Wall Street is not discovered until after the recession hits. By better publicizing records and information, the government will be better able to prevent the next recession due to shady Wall Street dealings.
3. Have the government tax those who default on their home and credit cards loans. Many people throughout America think it's OK to declare bankruptcy and default on their payments, but this only loses a lot of money. By placing a tax on future incomes for these citizens, there would be many less bankruptcy claims and much less money lost.
