1115: Why Are Democrats Afraid of Power?

What It Covers

Jon Lovett interviews Mark Dunkelman about his book "Why Nothing Works," examining how progressive governance shifted from New Deal-era efficiency to today's paralysis. The conversation explores why Democrats struggle to demonstrate government can deliver results, comparing FDR's rapid infrastructure programs to Biden's EV charger rollout that produced only 58 chargers from $7.5 billion over three years.

Key Questions Answered

• •New Deal Speed vs Modern Paralysis: The Tennessee Valley Authority wired up entire poor regions in months during the 1930s with singular bureaucratic authority. Biden's NEVI program allocated $7.5 billion for EV chargers but installed only 58 in three years due to state highway departments, competitive bidding requirements, utility coordination, and multiple approval layers that didn't exist in FDR's era.
• •Cultural Shift from Power to Accountability: Progressive governance transformed from building powerful centralized institutions in the 1930s-1950s to "speaking truth to power" after the 1960s-1970s. Figures like Robert Moses, David Lilienthal, and Floyd Dominy wielded enormous discretion, but revelations about DDT, urban renewal destroying minority neighborhoods, and Vietnam created distrust that spawned process checks limiting bureaucratic action.
• •Voice Without Veto Framework: Democratic reforms need systems where affected communities have input but not absolute blocking power. Current environmental laws, historic preservation statutes, and court action rights allow anyone with objections to stop projects. The challenge is designing processes between Robert Moses-style unilateral decisions and current paralysis where single objections halt necessary infrastructure.
• •EPA Turtle Guy Dilemma: A Massachusetts rail line to New Bedford took 35 years partly because an EPA official protecting endangered eastern box turtles in vernal pools couldn't compromise without facing internal EPA backlash and lawsuits from environmental groups. This illustrates how well-intentioned bureaucrats lack authority to make trade-offs, forcing expensive workarounds rather than balanced decisions.
• •Public Service Demoralization: Engineers working for Robert Moses in the 1940s-1950s had freedom to design parks and bridges despite an imperious boss, creating visible legacy projects. Today's public servants spend careers frightened of lawsuits, appropriator anger, and NEPA violations, pushing paper without real authority to make positive change, attracting different types of people to government work.
• •Democratic Governors Leading Reform: Josh Shapiro rebuilt Interstate 95 rapidly after collapse, demonstrating government speed. Gavin Newsom pursues similar quick-build projects. Rohit Mamnani focuses on actual student learning outcomes rather than charter-voucher debates. Gretchen Whitmer's "fix the damn roads" approach shows Democratic politicians increasingly recognize voters need proof government delivers before expanding its role.