This chapter follows Robert Moses as he launches an ambitious campaign to overhaul New York City’s civil service system, setting him on a collision course with the powerful Tammany Hall political machine. At the time, Tammany’s grip on city politics depended on a patronage network that handed out jobs in exchange for loyalty, so any effort to reform the system threatened their very foundation. Reformers like Henry Moskowitz and Darwin R. James, despite their determination, quickly found themselves stymied by bureaucratic inertia and fierce political opposition.
Moses, known for both his expertise and relentless drive, proposed a sweeping transformation of the city’s efficiency-rating system. He envisioned a strict meritocracy, where favoritism would be replaced by objective standards. Leading a dedicated team, Moses helped design an intricate grading system that broke down every government job into specific tasks, assigning numerical values even to qualities like personality. Promotions and salaries would be based solely on exam scores and mathematical evaluations, with no consideration for seniority or educational background. Moses was adamant that only ability should matter, and he advocated for demoting or firing anyone who failed to meet the new, rigorous benchmarks. His uncompromising idealism won him praise from fellow reformers and some city officials.
But Moses’ plan also sparked fierce resistance. Thousands of city workers, especially those in higher positions, saw their livelihoods and status threatened. Moses’ inflexible, sometimes high-handed approach only fueled their opposition, and Tammany Hall seized the opportunity to fight back. They leaked Moses’ more elitist writings to the press and packed public hearings with critics, turning the debate into a personal battle and eroding support for reform. Even some of Moses’ allies began to urge a slower, more cautious rollout, but he refused to back down.
As World War I loomed, the city’s political winds shifted. Tammany Hall regained its footing, and the Board of Aldermen watered down Moses’ plan with a host of exceptions. Tammany loyalists in the civil service sabotaged enforcement, and the courts proved unsympathetic. Moses became increasingly frustrated with Mayor Mitchel, who seemed more interested in protecting the wealthy than supporting real reform. The final blow came in the 1917 mayoral election, when Tammany capitalized on widespread resentment among city workers to reclaim power. The new mayor, John Hylan, wasted no time dismantling Moses’ reforms and restoring the patronage system.
In the aftermath, Moses found himself isolated and struggling. While his contemporaries moved on to influential roles, he faced rejection after rejection, scraping by in minor clerical jobs and dealing with financial strain. The national mood had soured, and the era of progressive reform seemed to be over. Yet, just as Moses’ prospects looked bleakest, an unexpected call from Belle Moskowitz offered a glimmer of hope. The chapter closes on this note, capturing both the lofty ambitions and the harsh realities faced by idealistic reformers in the shadow of entrenched political power.