A conservative vision for social justice | VISION TALKS

The American economy is splitting in two. Opportunity is plentiful for the wealthy and well-educated, but it is drying up for the bottom half. What can Washington do? After decades of research and hands-on experience, American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks offers surprising solutions in this AEI Vision Talk.



Subscribe AEI's YouTube Channel

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

For More Information

A conservative vision for social justice

Third-party photos, graphics, and video clips in this video may have been cropped or reframed. Music in this video may have been recut from its original arrangement and timing.

In the event this video uses Creative Commons assets: If not noted in the description, titles for Creative Commons assets used in this video can be found at the link provided after each asset.

The use of third-party photos, graphics, video clips, and/or music in this video does not constitute an endorsement from the artists and producers licensing those materials.

AEI operates independently of any political party and does not take institutional positions on any issues. AEI scholars, fellows, and their guests frequently take positions on policy and other issues. When they do, they speak for themselves and not for AEI or its trustees or other scholars or employees.

#news #politics #government #education

[QuijanoPhD]

This is hands down the best form of the conservative argument so far. Despite some disagreement with proposed solutions, it was a pleasure to hear him speak. 

[mikehowardmusic]

Arthur Brooks is an impressive speaker and his Call to Action is clear and definitive. Thank you for your insights!

[jenisejackson]

"[An] entrepreneur is the dignified endeavor of building your life." Love it.

[lhbhatten]

One of the most damaging ideas today is that a college education is the only way to be successful. Build up vocational training again. Our country needs skilled plumbers, electricians, welders, etc. These trades provide a good living.

[AEI]

The American economy is splitting in two. Opportunity is plentiful for the wealthy and well-educated, but it is drying up for the bottom half. What can Washington do? American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks offers surprising solutions in this AEI Vision Talk. #socialjustice   #poverty  

[ChernobylPizza]

Disagree that "dead end jobs" aren't a real thing. If you start out flipping burgers and wind up an investment banker, good for you, but you didn't succeed because you had your burger job.

[carolinasistah]

I am a registered Independent who loves conservative principles. The reason I haven't joined the Republican party is because I don't like what they SAY. I have long thought conservatives lose the battle because of their war cries.

Outstanding vid! Has then been sent to the Prince Priebus and the RNC, the House of Representatives? It needs to be!

[patellison]

I agree in large part, but what went unaddressed is the WHY. Why are conservatives seen as uncaring and focused on things and why are conservatives no longer fighting for the poor? The first answer is simple; certain conservative strategists changed GOP vernacular to be based on "anger points", a move that had short-term gains but disastrous long-term effects for the party. The second answer is more complex, but a good start would be campaign finance reform. As the cost of winning a race continues to increase dynamically, so does the amount in which politicians are forced to lean on one of the "Two Americas" (I'll give you a hint; it's the one buying the Lamborghinis).

[dons]

The two big policies that I think conservatives should embrace are 1) wage subsidies and 2) school vouchers.  Wage subsidies can create jobs and raise wages using money that would otherwise be spent on welfare, which reduces peoples' incentive to work instead of increasing it (as wage subsidies do).  See Edmund Phelps' book "Rewarding Work" for more details.  2) School vouchers could do more than anything else to help poor children improve their skills and employability. Getting poor and inner city kids out of failing public schools and into effective schools is a major civil rights issue of our time.

[roykliffen]

I know you don't like wealth distribution .... well... let me tell you a secret:
If you work 40 hours a week at Walmart, and you still have to depend on government handouts like food stamps to feed your family, taxing the Waltons to pay for those foodstamps is NOT redistribution of wealth!!! .... It is justice

[GOP]

Brooks comments about how those who argue for people and how to improve people - I'm not a Trump voter, but it was his use of human examples and the message of "I will fight for you with conservative plans" that beat out lots of those candidates who were "against things".

[catalinlazurca]

Uplifting: "The question is not if you re mad enough to fight for change.
The question is: do you have enough love on your heart for everybody to fight for change. See, what leaders and patriots do is that they fight for the weak, no matter how the weak vote."

[SuperGreenSmartie]

If only more mainstream conservative politicians thought like this speaker. Whether you agree with all his points or not, he definitely presents a valid, much more balanced opinion on how to help the poor, and he seems like he would be more than willing to work with people across the aisle to get things done as opposed to filibustering if things don't go exactly his way. America would be a much better place if more conservatives were like him :D

[camiloeduardocardenasramir]

Thank you mr Arthur, this material is huge extraordinary.

[NotUrBiz]

Policies that pull the financial safety-net from the poor just as they are pulling themselves out of the hole, are a disincentive to keep trying.  Make it pay to go to work by increasing the amount they can earn before the benefits are gradually pulled away.

[psusac]

This whole video is about what people say and how conservatives look.  It's not actually about helping anyone but conservatives.  This is a pep-talk about how conservatives can upgrade their image.  Here's an idea:  Try caring about something except yourself.  Sure, free-enterprise helps people, but that's incidental.  Conservatives take credit for the benefits of the free market, but they don't need to actually care about anyone but themselves while they do it.  Still it's good to see a conservative actually talking about inequality.  I guess they got the memo that the french revolution could happen again.  I have to roll my eyes at the statement that "you know we'll pay it" Conservatives have been c*ck-blocking education funding my whole life.

[TheFeatherlovers]

He is very educated and wise to look at things and problems that are very hard to see for allot of have to look and research what really is going on and he is right I have to I have always worked for my money I find myself without work for a few long year now
So he has a good point and graph of what is real

[BenSalernoMedia]

I very much enjoyed this talk, and agree with some, not all, of its points. I think that conservatives would certainly have a better chance at capturing the hearts and minds of younger, poorer demographics if they could overcome their well-deserved image of greed and apathy towards the poor. When I say "well-deserved, " I point mostly towards conservative politicians, rather than economists and scholars. Republicans cannot embrace an image of caring about the poor with any level of sincerity if they continue to take bribes from special interest groups and unlimited campaign contributions from the people that benefit most from keeping the poor poor. All good ideas require being taken one step at a time, and I don't think the first step can be taken by conservative politicians. It seems impossible that the conservatives in office would make efforts to reform campaign finance, to remove the poison in our so-called democratic process, in which politicians are bought and sold to the highest bidder. Removing the oligarchical practice of allowing special interests to buy elections would be the lynch pin that would finally let conservative humanist interests to exist and be heard in the political sphere. You'll find that, though they are better ideas, they're not as well funded.

[Sasqmo]

There arent any dead end jobs? Are you kidding me? When you look at want ads and see 'now hiring Management' it tells me that every job that company has is dead end, because they don't raise the people in the company up to fill the roles.

When I see 'entry level' positions requiring 2-4 years experience for a minimum wage job, it raises so many red flags for what they view your experience, for how hard you'll have to work to  even have a chance to progress in these companies.

So tell me how it's not a dead end when to get on the ground level they want no less than 2 years of knowledge and experience in a field but not make enough to even support yourself on the income that it gives?

[danielsanbeg]

His best point is on education; that we need different rather than more.

But I completely disagree that the main cause of poverty is culture/rhetoric. This is rather absurd thing to say. There is an unfortunately reality that technology is the main driver of splitting the labor market into those who possess scarce skills and those who dont. And also if conservatives are best fit to help address poverty they arent demonstrating this in the poorest regions of the country of Appalachia and the Mississippi delta that have been firmly Republican for decades.