Poverty Scholar Doar Named as New AEI President

The American Enterprise Institute has selected poverty scholar Robert Doar as its new president, replacing Arthur Brooks and continuing the conservative think tank’s focus on economic opportunity and income inequality.

Doar told the Washington Post, which first reported the selection Friday, that he would continue AEI’s mission to be an inclusive gathering place for scholars and not a house organ for a particular party or administration.

“We don’t have an AEI position,” Doar told the Post. “The most important thing that happens at AEI is the work of the individual scholars. My goal is to really celebrate them and promote their work so it gets into the bloodstream of the national discussion.”

“We have to call it as we see it. We’re nonpartisan. We’re not on somebody’s team,” Doar said in the interview.

Doar has been an influential voice in poverty policy circles for decades and has been an advisor and contributor to Spotlight since joining AEI.

Doar also has worked in the public sector, serving in the administrations of former New York governor George E. Pataki (R) and then-independent New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. From 2007 to 2014, Doar served as head of human resources in Bloomberg’s administration.

Doar told the Post he looked forward to bipartisan initiatives such as the current task force on paid leave with the Brookings Institution and another project focused on economic opportunity for the working class in conjunction with Brookings and Opportunity America.

Brooks, who is joining the Post as an op-ed columnist, tweeted that he “couldn’t be more thrilled to share the news that Robert Doar will be my successor as president of AEI, starting this summer.”

“What a great decision by @AEI to hire Robert Doar as its next president,” tweeted conservative scholar and policy analyst Avik Roy. “Doar will carry on @ArthurBrooks’ efforts to focus AEI on poverty and opportunity.”