Moses’ ‘open competition’ meant restricting high office to the educated elite

Evidence

Mingled with the idealism, of course, was the arrogance. It was subordinate to the idealism; if the idealism was displayed in Moses’ convictions about what should be done, the arrogance emerged only in his convictions as to who was best suited to do it. But it was every bit as pure and uncompromising. The Civil Service of Great Britain reveals its author as the possessor of a depth of class feeling and conservatism more appropriate to a retired Colonel of the Guards than a young progressive from New York City. “Open competition” may be what the young author said he wanted—but the openness was to certain individuals only. “Merit” may be the determinant he said he desired, but it was not merit based on a man’s handling of his job. The competition Moses wanted was a competition open only to a highly educated upper class. The merit he was talking about was merit not in public service but in the education given exclusively to members of that class. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 233

Categorization

• QUESTION: How much of Moses’ elitist civil service vision persisted into his actual later career in New York?
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Even self-educated talent was deemed too rare to deserve promotion — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 240; Moses’ merit system would have restricted high office to three colleges; Moses’ merit system threatened the careers of decades of loyal patronage workers — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 336 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Moses’ merit system would have restricted high office to three colleges #expands (0.90)
• Moses’ merit system threatened the careers of decades of loyal patronage workers #expands (0.80) — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 336