Beginning physical construction on a project makes authorities unable to stop it

Evidence

Once you did something physically, it was very hard for even a judge to undo it. If judges, who had to submit themselves to the decision of the electorate only infrequently, were thus hogtied by the physical beginning of a project, how much more so would be public officials who had to stand for re-election year by year? If he had needed a gift from August Heckscher to make victory certain, what did that prove? Only that once you physically began a project, there would always be some way found of obtaining the money to complete it. “Once you sink that first stake,” he would often say, “they’ll never make you pull it up.” — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 961

Categorization

• XREF: This is the precise mechanism that later explains Moses’ highways displacing 250,000 people (ch3 claim) — physically sinking stakes immunized projects against reversal. — connects to: Reform can be stolen through procedural speed and surprise rather than force — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 1042; Bureaucratic inertia makes officials extremely reluctant to stop started projects — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 817; Local protest can stop new base construction even when it cannot close existing bases — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 943 (+3 more)
• SEED: Angle: sunk-cost politics — how ‘just start it’ functions as an irreversible commitment device in infrastructure, elections, and war.
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source

Broader Connections

• Bureaucratic inertia makes officials extremely reluctant to stop started projects #corroborates (0.90) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 817
• Local protest can stop new base construction even when it cannot close existing bases #qualifies (0.85) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 943
• The stated reason for building a new base proved false after construction #qualifies (0.75)
• Base infrastructure that outlives its purpose actively creates insecurity #expands (0.70) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 1060