New Delhi, April 22 -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated University of Minnesota economist Christopher Phelan to be the next chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, a key position for conducting analyses of the economy and the administration's policies.

If confirmed by the Senate, Phelan would succeed Stephen Miran, a Harvard University-trained economist who worked at investment funds and joined the Federal Reserve Board of Governors last September. The council's vice chairman, Pierre Yared, had served as acting leader after Trump shifted Miran to the Fed.

Phelan's resume suggests a keen interest in the operations of central banks, a major interest of Trump, who has pressured the Fed to dramatically cut its b...