Safeguarding liberal democracy
According to 80,000 Hours, liberal democracies seem to foster economic growth, promote peace and spearhead innovation to a greater degree than do other forms of government tried so far.[1] Many alternatives to liberal democracy, on both ends of the political spectrum, have historically been associated with great human suffering: totalitarian regimes, in particular, are estimated to have been responsible for the deaths of over 125 million people in the 20th century alone, mostly in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and communist China.[2] Furthermore, a report from Rethink Priorities argues that many of the attributes of liberal democracy are conducive to intermediate longtermist goals, such as reduced great power conflict, moral circle expansion, and the flourishing of effective altruism.[3] For these and other reasons, safeguarding liberal democracy is considered a promising cause by some members of the effective altruism community; as of May 2022, 80,000 Hours rates it a "potential highest priority"—an area with the potential to beissue that, if more thoroughly examined, could rank as important as their highest priority areas, but which has not yet been investigated thoroughly.a top global challenge.[4]
According to 80,000Hours,000 Hours, liberal democracies seem to foster economic growth, promote peace and spearhead innovation to a greater degree than do other forms of government tried so far.[1] Many alternatives to liberal democracy, on both ends of the political spectrum, have historically been associated with great human suffering: totalitarian regimes, in particular, are estimated to have been responsible for the deaths of over 125 million people in the 20th century alone, mostly in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and communist China.[2] Furthermore, a report from Rethink Priorities argues that many of the attributes of liberal democracy are conducive to intermediate longtermist goals, such as reduced great power conflict, moral circle expansion, and the flourishing of effective altruism.[3] For these and other reasons, safeguarding liberal democracy is considered a promising cause by some members of the effective altruism community; as of May 2022, 80,000 Hours rates it a "potential highest priority"—an area with the potential to be as important as their highest priority areas, but which has not yet been investigated thoroughly.[4]
According to 80,000 Hours, liberal democracies seem to foster economic growth, promote peace and spearhead innovation to a greater degree than do other forms of government tried so far.[1] Many alternatives to liberal democracy, on both ends of the political spectrum, have historically been associated with great human suffering: totalitarian regimes, in particular, are estimated to have been responsible for the deaths of over 125 million people in the 20th century alone, mostly in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and communist China.[2] Furthermore, a report from Rethink Priorities argues that many of the attributes of liberal democracy are conducive to intermediate longtermist goals, such as reduced great power conflict, moral circle expansion, and the flourishing of effective altruism.[3] For these and other reasons, safeguarding liberal democracy is considered a promising cause by some members of the effective altruism community; as of
MayJune 2022, 80,000 Hours rates it a "potential highest priority"—an issue that, if more thoroughly examined, could rank as a top global challenge.[4]