The Candidate vs The Power Broker

Robert Redford stars as an idealistic lawyer who is convinced to run for the Senate with no chance of winning, only to find himself caught in the machinery of a real campaign. The film is a cynical, realistic look at how political consultants and media strategy can strip a candidate of their original values. While the pacing is a bit slow by modern standards, it remains a very accurate depiction o...

Robert Caros biography of Robert Moses is arguably the most important book ever written about the exercise of political power in America. It details how Moses, an unelected official, shaped the physical landscape of New York City through sheer political maneuvering. The book is a masterclass in understanding how power is acquired, maintained, and used to bypass democratic processes. While its mass...