Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Arthur C. Brooks

There is a rather ridiculous mainstream belief that liberals compared to conservatives are more compassionate. We know we all should give to charity and we like to think that we do but who really cares? Arthur C. Brooks delivers with stern words the fruits of many painstaking years of research that conservatives are more compassionate than liberals in many ways and what the true definition of charity really is in Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.
In eight chapters Brooks undermines that compassionate conservatism is an oxymoron. First he guides the readers on the subject of charity and what it really stands for. Charity is derived from the Latin word caritas which means affection. According to Brooks charity is a “personal voluntary sacrifice”. He is quick to dismiss that government taxation spent on charitable programs is charity. Why? Going back to the definition of charity, government taxation spent on charitable programs is not charity because the givers, those being taxed, do not personally volunteer to be taxed for the programs. In Who Really Cares Brooks uses the deep evidences of economics to find out who really cares. As he progresses further in his research Brooks is astonished by the results as a liberal Democrat. Comparison after comparison, the results is still the same, conservatives are compassionate and this shows in how conservatives donate compared to liberals. To quote Harvey Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government, Harvard University, “Arthur Brook’s study of the virtue of charity, a remarkable work of practical philosophy in the plain guise of economics.”
When I picked up this book I expected something special but Arthur C. Brook’s served a slice of truth and clarity into who really cares about charity. I especially liked the intense care Brooks took when researching evidence for his book. Several years of research really produced a great book. Another thing that got my attention was how Brooks too was stunned that conservatives gave more than liberals. He says that he went through all his data over and over believing the initial result was a mistake on his part but came to accept the facts. This really added a layer of authenticity to the book. Far too often are books like this conducted by biased individuals with goals not to find the truth but rather to further advance their personal agenda. None of this can be seen in Brooks. He is earnest to give dues to those who deserve the dues and the criticisms of harsh evidence.
Despite Brooks’s book opening my eyes to the truth I am still left with questions. Why do people the majority of people still believe that liberals are more compassionate than conservatives? What also amazes me is the irony involved in this. One would expect the opposite of the results.
I must confess that no review can summarize the work of Arthur C. Brooks. If you need evidence for a political platform, for research, or just want to discover the truth Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters is the book for you.