The reason it was 0 for so many years was because the Fed was trying desperately to create inflation during this time. (Which was chronically low for other reas

The reason it was 0 for so many years was because the Fed was trying desperately to create inflation during this time. (Which was chronically low for other reasons). Lowering interest rates to create inflation is literally one of the core tenants of the Federal Reserve: https://www.clevelandfed.org/center-for-inflation-research/inflation-101/why-does-the-fed-care-start https://www.clevelandfed.org/center-for-inflation-research/i...