Charles Meyer Hardin

Background

Charles Hardin was born on August 29, 1908 in Lander, Wyoming, United States.

Education

Charles Hardin received his Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1930. Eight years later, in 1938, he attained Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado. In 1942, Hardin got Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science, graduating from Harvard University.

Career

Hardin started his career as a teacher of French and English in Lander, Wyoming. He became an instructor at Harvard University in 1940 before joining the faculty at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor of political science in 1945. From 1961 to 1964, Hardin served as an associate director of The Rockefeller Foundation with responsibilities for social science projects.

In 1964 Charles began to work as a professor of political science at the University of California, Davis until his retirement in 1976. While at Davis, he led the international Agricultural Institute.

He also served as Agriculture Secretary Charles F. Brannan’s staff as well as President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Task Force member on Agricultural Policy.

Achievements

• During his career Hardin co-founded the Committee on the Constitutional System, a bipartisan group, that was charged with evaluating the effectiveness of the United States Constitution.
  
  In 1977, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wyoming.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The politics of agriculture: Soil conservation and the struggle for power in rural America 1952
  • Presidential Power and Accountability: Toward a New Constitution 1975
  • Freedom in Agricultural Education. Signed by Charles M. Hardin 1955
  • Constitutional Reform in America: Essays on the Separation of Powers 1989

Politics

Charles Hardin's point of attack was the separation of power, which he believed led to fragmentation of authority and deadlock of action. He argued for replacing the separation of powers between the executive and the legislature with a separation between the government and the opposition. Thus, he believed in party reorganization as well as constitutional reform. At the same time, he was concerned about excessive presidential power and unaccountability.

Connections

Charles was married to Sallie Gibson Hardin. The couple gave birth to their daughter, Julia Hardin Hansen.

child:

Julia Hardin Hansen

Wife:

Sallie Gibson Hardin