I consider him a friend, so maybe I’m biased, but he strikes me as a great selection to head AEI. The think tank could have gone for a bigger name, possibly a retired politician in his dotage. Instead, it went with a genuine public intellectual in the prime of his life–a man who has written two provocative books based upon the sound analysis of empirical research, and who has delivered his findings in creative, accessible, and even humorous ways. (My podcast interview with him, on the subject of his most recent book, Gross National Happiness, is here.) Moreover, Arthur’s own reputation now will be tethered to the success of AEI–something that might not have happened with someone more famous. The one thing that’s currently lacking on his resume is a track record in raising millions of dollars for a public-policy organization. Yet Arthur is an immensely decent and likable guy. He has the right kind of personality to thrive in this area, and I believe he will.

He does have some big shoes to fill. When Chris DeMuth became president of AEI more than two decades ago, the organization was on the brink of collapse. He not only saved it, but he turned it into what is arguably the most important think tank in America. DeMuth succeeded because he’s an amazingly smart policy entrepreneur who can operate among both think-tank brainiacs and the business-minded philanthropists who fund their work. It’s a rare talent.

Arthur inherits AEI at a challenging moment. It doesn’t face an internal crisis, as it did in the 1980s when DeMuth stepped up. By all appearances, it’s a healthy outfit. But conservatism itself may be in crisis. Our movement may need AEI and organizations like it more than ever before. We all have a big stake in what Chris DeMuth leaves behind and where Arthur Brooks hopes to take it, as we search for fresh ideas that will help us apply conservative principles to the problems of our time.