Martin Anderson’s 1964 book The Federal Bulldozer is a decisive, data-driven critique of public urban renewal programs in the US. It has become somewhat of a foundational text for libertarian and conservative thought. Originally an MIT doctoral thesis, it shattered the post-war consensus on government-led "slum clearance." Using internal government records from 1949–1962, Anderson proved that the federal program demolished significantly more homes than it ever built. Instead of helping cities, it worsened housing shortages and forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of low-income and minority residents. Anderson also exposed that promised private investment failed to materialize, arguing that top-down bureaucratic planning was inherently inefficient. His solution? Leave city revitalization entirely to the free market. Predictably, the book sparked massive controversy. Critics called it a partisan polemic, but Anderson’s data was undeniable. It propelled Anderson into influential roles as a policy advisor to Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The Federal Bulldozer is a damming indictment of top-down government planning. It shifted the trajectory of American city planning, providing the intellectual ammunition that helped bring an end to the federal urban renewal era in the 1970s.