Libertarian author and commentator Charles Murray sat down with State of Opportunity's Dustin Dwyer yesterday to discuss his new book, Coming Apart, which highlights the growing stratification of wealth in America.
For those of you unfamiliar with Murray, his work helped shape the landmark 1996 welfare reform act. He also co-authored the 1994 book The Bell Curve with Richard J. Herrnstein, which argued that human intelligence is greatly influenced by both genes and environmental factors.
In his interview, Murray laid out what he believes are four key concepts standing in the way of economic mobility in America. Murray argues that if we continue on our current path, America will be stuck with a ruling elite, and a permanent lower class, where people are trapped across generations. From the interview:
"The question is, can you resuscitate an American civic culture which prided itself on being engaged in the life of the community, which prided itself on an egalitarianism in terms of human dignity. And that's why I'm a libertarian because I think the only way you get back to that is to get the government the hell out of the things that have destroyed that civic culture."
To hear Murray's complete interview, visit State of Opportunity.
- Jordan Medina, Michigan Radio Newsroom
