Arthur Brooks, the economist who recently took over as president of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, made waves two years ago with a data-heavy book concluding that political conservatives tend to be more generous contributors to charity than their liberal counterparts. The main reason: Conservatives are more likely to be religious and religious folk tend to give more--even to non-religious causes.

So, in light of recent events, I asked him whether liberals were less likely to pay their taxes than conservatives. Brooks diplomatically declined the opportunity for a cheap shot. "There's no evidence for that," he said. There was, he allowed, some evidence that "religious people are more likely to be honest with their taxes than non-religious people, but that's not a political thing." Brooks also said there are some data suggesting that hard-core ideologues at either end of the spectrum "behave less ethically" than those of less extreme views. "I'd love to know the answer," he mused, then quickly reconsidered. "No, actually I'm glad I don't."

For more on the latest internal workings at AEI, check out my upcoming feature in the February 14 issue of National Journal.

                                                                                                      --Julie Kosterlitz