It’s often claimed that it’s easier and more impactful for people to get involved and make change through state and local politics than through federal politics because federal politics is much more crowded. On the other hand, most of the issues that EA focuses on are national and global: we’re often trying to influence global governance, mitigate global catastrophic risks, facilitate global development, and so on. And in the United States, at least, the federal government has the most obvious leverage points for foreign policy, through which we can influence global issues. Are there a lot of opportunities for EAs to influence state and local politics re: EA causes? Should we prioritize federal or state/local politics?
[Question] Should EAs in the U.S. focus more on federal or state/local politics?
It’s often claimed that it’s easier and more impactful for people to get involved and make change through state and local politics than through federal politics because federal politics is much more crowded. On the other hand, most of the issues that EA focuses on are national and global: we’re often trying to influence global governance, mitigate global catastrophic risks, facilitate global development, and so on. And in the United States, at least, the federal government has the most obvious leverage points for foreign policy, through which we can influence global issues. Are there a lot of opportunities for EAs to influence state and local politics re: EA causes? Should we prioritize federal or state/local politics?