Effective altruism's political blind spot

Abstract

The effective altruism movement, which advocates for evidence-based philanthropy to maximize societal impact, faces challenges in addressing poverty due to its narrow focus. While this movement prioritizes RCTs to assess the effectiveness of charities, RCTs often overlook unintended institutional effects, particularly when charities operate alongside state-run welfare programs. This can lead to a political blind spot, as effective altruism may inadvertently undermine democratic accountability and result in a decline in state services for the most disadvantaged. Broadening the scope of evidence and supporting advocacy groups that strengthen state accountability can help address this issue. – AI-generated abstract.