Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960 - 2010 (2012) - Charles Murray Charles Murray is an American social scientist and author of many important books including his Best selling book of 1994, The Bell Curve was written in collaboration with Richard Herrnstein, a Harvard psychology professor and researcher. Murray himself is a Harvard graduate (history) who also holds a PhD in political science from MIT and is a self-described libertarian. The following characterization of what he calls the “American project” provides an insight into his libertarianism: “The American project…consists of the ongoing effort, beginning with the founding, to demonstrate that human beings can be set free as individuals and families live their lives as they see fit, voluntarily coming together to solve common problems. The political system based on that idea led to a civic culture that was seen as exceptional by the entire world. Quotient (IQ) or what Murray and Richard Herrnstein called cognitive ability. The thesis of The Bell Curve is: IQ can be measured impartially and accurately, is the best predictor of life outcomes, and differs by race. The idea that some ethnic groups are more intelligent than others is controversial, and the book has been the bane of liberals and progressives. According to Herrnstein and Murray, Asians are the most intelligent (cognitively elite) people in the world, followed by white Europeans, Hispanics, and then black Africans. Discussing the validity of Herrnstein and Murray's Bell Curve conclusions on race and intelligence is beyond the scope of this essay. However, it is important to understand... middle of paper... Economically speaking, the middle class (and lower class) must have enough money to purchase goods and services to support the economy. Socially the concentration of income and wealth in the hands has created the situation well documented in Coming Apart. Politically he destroyed the democratic idea of ​​“one man, one vote”. In the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the court ruled that donations to political campaigns constitute free speech and cannot be restricted by law. Their decision poured a wave of money into electoral politics. The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that six billion dollars were spent on the 2012 presidential election, diluting the vote and influence of the average citizen and placing the levers of power squarely in the hands of the wealthy. Works Cited Coming Apart by Charles Murray