The Power Broker




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ClassGraphic  Robert Caro’s acclaimed biography, The Power Broker (Viking, 1974), chronicles the life and influence of Robert Moses, one of the most powerful figures in urban planning and development in the 20th century. In telling the Moses story, Caro describes the way politics really happens, the way things get done in America’s City Halls and Statehouses. Serving alongside six New York governors, from Al Smith to Nelson Rockefeller, and five NYC mayors, from Fiorello La Guardia to John Lindsey, Moses was more powerful than any of them, despite the fact he had never been elected to any public office. The book paints a complex portrait of Moses, whose visionary projects transformed New York City through the construction of parks, bridges, highways, and housing. It also uncovers the dark side of Moses' power, revealing how his autocratic methods led to the displacement of countless residents. More than anything, this book is a study of power—the rise to, the use of, the love of, the lust for, and the loss of power. This is the second semester of a two-semester study group. Participation in the first semester is not necessary to enjoy the second semester of this monumental work.
 

Class Details

14 Session(s)
Weekly - Tue

Location
Wieboldt Hall

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition: 

$0.00

Email olli@northwestern.edu for more information. Send to Friend »

Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
3/3/2026 - 6/2/2026 Weekly - Tue 09:45 AM - 11:45 AM Chicago, Wieboldt Hall  Map Dan Burns  ; Rosemary O'Shea 

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