Category: Charles Murray

Lexington on Charles Murray’s new book

The Economist’s Lexington columnist weighs in succinctly on Murray’s new book here.

Money quote:

Your own columnist, a jaundiced Brit residing temporarily in a SuperZip, wonders how the lower class will respond to hearing that the main help it needs is an infusion of its betters’ morals. Mr Murray believes his numbers show that following his prescription can help people lead fuller lives at almost any level of income. He may be right. But those in the upper class who heed his call might want to leave their Mercedes Benzes at home when they set out for Denny’s and their voyage of persuasion.

Murray’s WSJ essay: Fishtown versus Belmont

In today’s WSJ, a google link is here. The central notion is a new cultural divide and the main statistical results are striking–De Toqueville wouldn’t recognize current America I think. On the other hand, I sure recognize “Belmont”.

Here’s Murray’s money quote:

Over the past 50 years, that common civic culture has unraveled. We have developed a new upper class with advanced educations, often obtained at elite schools, sharing tastes and preferences that set them apart from mainstream America. At the same time, we have developed a new lower class, characterized not by poverty but by withdrawal from America’s core cultural institutions.

The question is what to do about it?  Murray and I agree, doing nothing isn’t a reasonable option. Where we disagree is whether voluntary behavioral changes from members of his “new upper class” will improve things. I don’t think so because the feedback loops that are driving “Fishtown” down are endogenous to Fishtown (as he points out, there isn’t a lot of mobility).

Am inclined to take a really hard look at educational reform (writ large) instead. The work is with the younger generation of Fishtowners.