

John McWhorter & Marc Dunkelman – Why Nothing Works
38 snips Sep 19, 2025
Marc Dunkelman, a Fellow at Brown's Watson School, discusses governance failures in his book, Why Nothing Works. He argues that public policy has stagnated since the 1960s, largely due to fragmented authority exemplified by the Penn Station debacle. Dunkelman connects ineffective governance to the rise of populism, noting how Trump's popularity stems from disillusionment with politicians. He proposes solutions like designing systems for community input without absolute vetoes and highlights emerging moderate Democrats focused on practical results to restore public trust.
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Power Dispersal Broke Old Progress
- Mark Dunkelman argues many public projects stopped working because power dispersed after the 1960s.
- He links this shift to new rules and resistance that limited centralized decision-making.
Top-Down Power Built Infrastructure Fast
- Dunkelman and guests contrast Robert Moses style centralized builders with TVA's top-down modernization.
- They concede top-down power achieved big public goods while also causing injustice and dislocation.
Voice Without Decision Creates Gridlock
- The spread of veto points followed backlash to the patriarchal power of mid-century officials.
- Dispersing power gave affected communities voice but made collective trade-offs much harder.