The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Power Broker
The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Power Broker
Podcast Description
What if the most powerful man in New York never held elected office?
Roman Mars and comedian Elliott Kalan dive deep into The Power Broker, Robert Caro’s epic biography of Robert Moses, the master builder who reshaped New York City with highways, bridges, and raw political force.
Each episode unpacks each chapter from the book and features guests like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Schur, and, of course, Robert Caro. Together, they explore how one unelected man used ambition and bureaucracy to bend an entire metropolis to his will.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Episodes explore the major themes of urban development and power dynamics as portrayed in The Power Broker, including discussions on bureaucratic influence and infrastructure. Examples include episodes covering the impact of Robert Moses' planning on neighborhoods and contemporary urban challenges, along with highlights from chapters on political maneuvering and social justice.

What if the most powerful man in New York never held elected office?
In our first audio book club, Roman Mars and comedian Elliott Kalan dive deep into The Power Broker, Robert Caro’s epic biography of Robert Moses, the master builder who reshaped New York City with highways, bridges, and raw political force.
Each episode unpacks each chapter from the book and features guests like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Schur, and, of course, Robert Caro. Together, they explore how one unelected man used ambition and bureaucracy to bend an entire metropolis to his will.
This is the ninth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.
This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article VI and VII, which include some odds and ends like the Debts Clause, the No Religious Test Clause, and the process for ratification. But tucked into Article VI is the all-important Supremacy Clause, which states that the Constitution is the “supreme Law of the Land,” and is probably the most frequently used constitutional law in practice.
Roman and Elizabeth are also joined by Dr. Alondra Nelson, a leading expert on AI. She discusses why AI is a challenge to regulate, what to think of the tug of war between the states and the federal government on the topic, and whether she’s optimistic governments will figure this out.
The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution
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