From this introduction, it seems as if Robert Moses gained his power by pretending he already had it. The retelling of Moses’s confrontation with the Yale swim team captain hinted at the stubbornness and egocentrism that characterized Moses later in his career. With the ruthlessness of an entitled aspiring politician, he used the claim that he was above politics to draw the favor of the masses. His dedication and talent for getting what he wanted done seems undoubtable after reading even only the introduction, and accomplishing these projects consistently and in whatever secretive manner he wanted to was a feat in itself. He accumulated money, demanded respect, and was surrounded by a sense of mystery, which all in turn created power. However, to kick start this cycle it takes more than brains, and that’s where unbending self confidence can catapult someone into a position like his, especially when paired with the ability to actually produce what they claim they can. Caro stated that Moses’s empire was built on a lie – which in a sense is true – but creating a system of that magnitude with yourself at the center is a difficult task. Perhaps the fact that Moses could build that from scratch demanded its own respect – respect for creating power out of nothing but a bluff.
