The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York book club questions

1. 1.

   Moses never held elected office. How did he acquire and hold power for four decades? What does that mechanism suggest about democratic accountability?

2. 2.

   Caro argues that Moses's racism was not incidental but architectural — built into his projects at a physical level. Do you find that argument convincing?

3. 3.

   The early Moses — the progressive reformer — was genuinely idealistic. How does the biography explain the transformation into the figure he became?

4. 4.

   The book is 1,162 pages. Caro insists that every page is necessary. Do you agree? What would you cut?

5. 5.

   Moses's parks and beaches gave millions of New Yorkers experiences they could not otherwise have had. How do you weigh that against the destruction of neighborhoods and the concentration of poverty?

6. 6.

   Many of the politicians who knew Moses was using improper means to achieve ends they approved of looked the other way. What does the book suggest about the ethics of complicity?

7. 7.

   Caro spent seven years on the book and was told repeatedly that Moses would not cooperate. How does a biography proceed without its subject's cooperation? What are the limits?

8. 8.

   The Power Broker was published in 1974. How has New York changed since? Are the physical legacies Moses created better or worse than they appeared then?

9. 9.

   What does Moses's career suggest about whether administrative expertise and democratic accountability can coexist?

10. 10.

    Caro is equally or more famous for his multi-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. Do you see continuities between his interest in Moses and his interest in Johnson?

11. 11.

    Is the book ultimately a tragedy — about a man who could have been great — or a warning? Does Caro distinguish between the two?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.