What I learned about power from LBJ and Robert Moses

Robert Caro’s biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson reveal the mechanics of accumulating and wielding political power. Robert Moses transformed New York’s infrastructure by exploiting public authorities, drafting self-serving legislation, and securing constitutional protections for bond covenants that rendered his authority nearly untouchable. Conversely, Lyndon Johnson mastered the U.S. Senate by centralizing control over committee assignments, agenda-setting, and information flow, allowing him to broker complex legislative deals that advanced his political ambitions. While Moses began as an idealist before succumbing to the addictive nature of power, Johnson operated as a ruthless opportunist who eventually leveraged his hard-won influence to enact landmark civil rights legislation. These figures demonstrate that power is not merely a tool for achieving goals but a dynamic force that shapes, and is shaped by, the individuals who possess it.