The Emerging British Underclass

by Charles Murray

Analysis by leading American economic theorist Charles Murray of the emergence of a British underclass defined not only by poverty but by violent crime, dropping out of the labor force and illegitimacy. The commentaries by the British social policy analysts largely reject Murray's arguments. Twenty years on, the arguments still rage. 82 pages.

Genres: Nonfiction, Economics

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

Charles Alan Murray is an American libertarian conservative political scientist, author, and columnist. His book Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950–1980 (1984), which discussed the American welfare system, was widely read and discussed, and influenced subsequent government policy. He became well-known for his controversial book The Bell Curve (1994), written with Richard Herrnstein, in which he argues that intelligence is a better predictor than parental socio-economic status or education level of many individual outcomes including income, job performance, pregnancy out of wedlock, and crime, and that social welfare programs and education efforts to improve social outcomes for the disadvantaged are largely wasted.

Reviews

[Frederick Hammill · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author appeared ignorant of the subject of his book. And that's a fact.

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ideologically driven will not be moved, but entirely reasonable and persuasive to all others.

[Kori Lumsden]

Read for my sociology class.