首先我们看一下美联储官网的自我介绍：

The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, provides the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable monetary and financial system.
翻译一下：美联储，即美国中央银行，为国家提供一个安全、灵活、稳定的货币及金融系统。

这段话给了我们两个信息：

1. 美联储是美国的中央银行；

2. 美联储控制着美国的货币及金融系统。

再来看一下美联储给自己确定的目标及功能：

1. Overview of the Federal Reserve System: The Federal Reserve performs five key functions in the public interest to promote the health of the U.S. economy and the stability of the U.S. financial system.
2. The Three Key System Entities: The Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Banks, and the Federal Open Market Committee work together to promote the health of the U.S. economy and the stability of the U.S. financial system.
3. Conducting Monetary Policy: The Federal Open Market Committee sets U.S. monetary policy in accordance with its mandate from Congress: to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy.
4. Promoting Financial System Stability: The Federal Reserve monitors financial system risks and engages at home and abroad to help ensure the system supports a healthy economy for U.S. households, communities, and businesses.
5. Supervising and Regulating Financial Institutions and Activities: The Federal Reserve promotes the safety and soundness of individual financial institutions and monitors their impact on the financial system as a whole.
6. Fostering Payment and Settlement System Safety and Efficiency: The Federal Reserve works to promote a safe, efficient, and accessible system for U.S. dollar transactions.
7. Promoting Consumer Protection and Community Development: The Federal Reserve advances supervision, community reinvestment, and research to increase understanding of the impacts of financial services policies and practices on consumers and communities.

简单翻译一下就是：

1. 促进美国经济的健康和美国金融体系的稳定。

2. 三个关键实体：理事会，联邦储备银行和联邦公开市场委员会。

3. 根据国会的授权制定美国货币政策：促进就业，稳定价格和制定长期利率。

4. 监控国内外金融系统风险。

5. 促进金融机构的安全性和稳健性，并监督其对整个金融体系的影响。

6. 为美元交易推广一个安全，高效且易于获取的系统。

7. 推进监管，再投资和研究。

从以上几点我们可以提炼出几条关键的信息：

1.美联储对国会负责，而非对美国总统负责，以保证美联储的独立性。

2.美国货币政策的核心指标是就业、价格、利率。

3.美联储积极推进美元的全球流动性。

4.依靠全球流动性，美联储可以全球金融系统施加影响及监控。

5.美联储是美国国内金融机构的监管机构。

结论

美联储的官方介绍其实要比其他纷繁复杂的分析与新闻来得更权威、简洁以及准确。所以综上，我们可以对美联储的性质做出以下总结：

美联储是一个独立于白宫行政系统之外的，由美国国会授权的金融监管机构，并根据其内部的理事会、储备银行以及公开市场委员会的共同决定指定货币政策，通过控制美元货币供应量及基准利率，对内以期稳定促进就业、稳定价格，对外促进美元全球流动性，并监控全球金融系统。