Social Justice for Conservatives

Review: Arthur Brooks, ‘The Conservative Heart’

When articles are written about the American Enterprise Institute, space is frequently devoted to cataloguing the eccentricities of its president, Arthur Brooks. Brooks is not a stereotypical, or even typical, conservative. In his 20s, he was a professional French hornist in the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and politics was far from his mind. He changed tack a few years later, earning an economics degrees by correspondence and entering academia. Now he is president of a Washington institution that is working to recast conservatism in both its practice, and its perception.

Brooks presents a stumbling block for those who imagine conservatives as heavily bearded duck hunters from the heartland. His sense of style is trim, colorful, and European. He trots the globe to derive inspiration from gurus. He brought the Dalai Lama to AEI’s office off K Street, prompting much confusion from left-leaning journalists who suspected the think tank might shortly issue a ransom note.

The media does not know what to make of Brooks, a fact that indicates he is succeeding in his political project. He writes jokingly that he is launching a “sneak attack” on the other side by challenging deeply held misconceptions about which ideology has more to offer the poor.

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