Does Robert Caro think a Robert Moses could still get things built today?

Robert Caro told Dwarkesh Patel that people said the same thing in the 1920s: too many property owners and safeguards meant nothing big could be built. Moses then got roads across Long Island and Jones Beach built anyway. Caro's view is that a political genius for building turns up every few decades, and someone will do it again. He does not want Moses's ruthlessness, but says the country needs someone who finds a way despite opposition.

• Dwarkesh Patel cited the Second Avenue subway: about 50 years of work, a mile and a half opened, more than $4 billion spent.
• Caro said he is not sure there is a good middle ground between Moses-style building and today's gridlock.
• Caro noted Jones Beach is only 27 miles from New York City, yet reaching it once seemed impossible.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Dwarkesh Podcast (2026-10-30). Read the whole episode summary →

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