Ishan

How an unelected man ruled New York for 30 years

Robert Caro, Max Farrens, Aaron, Ishan, Tom Fox

This upcoming interview features Robert Caro discussing the contrasting political power dynamics of New York's "master builder" Robert Moses and future President Lyndon B. Johnson as detailed in his extensive biographies. Caro explains how Moses utilized legislative loopholes, bond covenants, and a "hydra" of overlapping posts to maintain unassailable control over New York's infrastructure for decades, while Johnson transformed the Senate Majority Leader role into a central hub of power through ruthless negotiation and the systematic dismantling of seniority traditions. The conversation serves as a crucial prelude to the full release of their shared findings, offering a definitive analysis of how these two figures accumulated influence to enact their respective visions.