OPINION:
The title explains all: “The Conservative Heart: How to build a fairer, happier, and more prosperous America” by American Enterprise Institute president Arthur C. Brooks arrives Tuesday, with a clear mission and much acclaim. George Will, Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Mike Lee are among those praising the new book. It’s establishing some new turf for conservatives - and some pushback against the persistent progressive monopoly as “champions” of the needy and vulnerable.
“For too long, conservatives have been a movement of the head and not the heart,” the author notes.
“Conservatives possess the best solutions to the problems of poverty and declining mobility. Yet because they don’t speak in a way that reflects their concern and compassion, many Americans don’t trust them,” Mr. Brooks says, offering some reinvented social justice, succinct policy and identifying the four “institutions of meaning” - family, faith, community, and meaningful work.
“It is time for a new kind of conservatism - a conservatism that fights poverty, promotes equal opportunity, and extols spiritual enlightenment. It is an inclusive, optimistic movement with a positive agenda to help people lead happier and more fulfilling lives,” says Mr. Brooks.
The work is published by Broadside Books; find much information here: ArthurBrooks.com
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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