Charles Murray (political scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Murray
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Murray in 2013
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| Born |
Charles Alan Murray
January 8, 1943 Newton, Iowa, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (BA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA, PhD) |
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Notable work
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Losing Ground (1984) The Bell Curve (1994) Coming Apart (2012) |
| Spouse(s) |
Suchart Dej-Udom
(m. 1966; div. 1980)Catherine Bly Cox
(m. 1983) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Irving Kristol Award (2009) Kistler Prize (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | American Institutes for Research Manhattan Institute for Policy Research American Enterprise Institute |
| Thesis | Investment and Tithing in Thai Villages: A Behavioral Study of Rural Modernization (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Lucian Pye |
Charles Alan Murray (born January 8, 1943) is an American political scientist. He works as a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. This is a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.. A think tank is a group that does research and suggests ideas about public policy.
Murray's work is often discussed and sometimes seen as controversial. His book Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950–1980 (1984) looked at the American welfare system. In The Bell Curve (1994), he and Richard Herrnstein wrote about how intelligence might predict things like income and job success. They suggested that some social programs might not work as intended.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Murray was born in Newton, Iowa, on January 8, 1943. He grew up in a family that believed in moral responsibility. His father was an executive at the Maytag Company. As a teenager, Murray enjoyed debating.
He believes the SAT test helped him get into Harvard University. He felt it allowed students from smaller towns to compete with those from bigger, well-known schools. However, later he suggested that the SAT's role in college admissions should be changed. He thought it had become a symbol of privilege.
Murray earned his first degree in history from Harvard University in 1965. He then received his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1974.
Peace Corps Work
In 1965, Murray joined the Peace Corps and went to Thailand. He stayed there for six years. During this time, he married Suchart Dej-Udom, a Thai language instructor.
Murray says his time in Thailand greatly influenced his views. He became interested in Asian culture. He also noticed that government programs often did not meet the real needs of villagers. He felt that too much government help could sometimes make things worse for local communities. His experiences in Thailand shaped his later research about how government programs affect people's lives.
Family Life
After fourteen years, Murray divorced his first wife. Three years later, he married Catherine Bly Cox in 1983. She was an English literature instructor. In 1989, they wrote a book together about the Apollo program.
Murray has four children, two from each marriage. He lives with his second wife in Frederick County, Maryland.
Research and Books
After returning to the U.S., Murray continued his research. From 1974 to 1981, he worked for the American Institutes for Research (AIR). He oversaw studies on education, welfare, and criminal justice.
From 1981 to 1990, he was a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. There, he wrote Losing Ground. This book had a big impact on welfare reform discussions in the 1990s. Since 1990, he has been a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He has also received awards for his work, including the Irving Kristol Award.
Losing Ground
In his book Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950–1980 (1984), Murray argues that some social welfare programs might actually harm society. He suggests they can hurt the very people they are trying to help. He believes these programs should be changed or removed.
He proposed three "laws" about social programs:
- Law of Imperfect Selection: Rules for who gets help might unfairly leave some people out.
- Law of Unintended Rewards: Getting social help can make the situation that caused the need for help seem more valuable.
- Law of Net Harm: If a problem is unlikely to change on its own, a program trying to fix it might cause more harm than good.
The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life (1994) is a very well-known and debated book. Charles Murray wrote it with Richard Herrnstein. The book's name comes from the "bell-shaped" curve that shows how IQ scores are spread out.
The main idea of the book is that in 20th-century America, a person's intelligence became a strong predictor of things like income and job success. They suggested it was even more important than a person's family background or education level. The book also talked about how people with high intelligence might become separated from others. This could lead to social problems.
Some of the research mentioned in The Bell Curve was supported by the Pioneer Fund. This fund aims to study human differences. Some critics have said the Pioneer Fund promotes ideas that favor one race over others. Murray has disagreed with this view.
Coming Apart
In his book Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010 (2012), Murray looks at changes in white American society. He describes how poor white Americans and upper middle-class white Americans have grown apart. He argues that economic changes have created two separate groups. One group is defined by higher education, and the other by a lack of it.
Some critics have said that he chose specific data or time periods to support his arguments. They suggest the changes he describes are part of a longer, more complex history.
Op-ed Writings
Murray has written articles for many newspapers and magazines. These include The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He has also given advice to government officials in the United States and other countries.
In 2007, Murray stated that he had changed his mind about the SAT tests. He suggested they should be removed. He believes that other tests, like subject achievement tests, could be better for predicting college success.
Political Views
Charles Murray describes himself as a libertarian. This means he believes in individual freedom and limited government. Others have also described him as conservative.
Education
Murray has criticized the "No Child Left Behind" law. He felt it set goals that were not realistic for all students. He believes that education should recognize that students have different abilities.
In his book Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America's Schools Back to Reality, he shares his ideas:
- Everyone has different abilities.
- About half of all children are below average in some areas.
- He thinks too many people are going to college.
- America's future depends on how we educate the most academically talented students.
In 2014, a speech by Murray at a university was postponed. This was due to his research on human group differences. Murray argued that it was important for students to consider different research, even if it is controversial.
Economics
Murray believes that the government has too many rules. He supports simpler tax laws. He also thinks that reducing government benefits could encourage people to have children. In 2016, he suggested that a universal basic income could be a good way to adapt to changes in the job market. A universal basic income is a regular payment given to all citizens, regardless of their income.
Race
Murray's views on race have been a topic of debate. Some groups have criticized his ideas, saying they promote certain racial viewpoints. Murray has disagreed with these criticisms. Several intellectuals, including Sam Harris and Glenn Loury, have defended Murray against claims of racism.
See also
- Historiometry
