Episode Details

Read this career review on the 80,000 Hours website.

Summary

In a nutshell: Who wields power in the US government is a very important determinant of outcomes for many of the world's most pressing problems, including reducing catastrophic risks from AI. The most direct ways to affect who controls the levers of government power are to work on campaigns and run for office. Because election outcomes are so important, and sufficiently tractable, we think electoral work is a great option for many people. However, it can be hard to make an impact in these roles, and the work has material downsides, like low pay and low job security.

Pros:

• Very wide breadth and scale of potential impact
• Low barriers to entry
• Entry point for other areas with high potential impact such as policy
• Fast-paced and often exciting work

Cons:

• Less direct path to impact
• Even if you win an election, impact is not guaranteed (and could be negative)
• Difficult to assess where you can have the greatest leverage
• Challenging working conditions and high risk of burnout
• Many elected offices (though not campaign roles) are limited to US citizens

Key facts on fit:

• You don't need any [...]

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Outline:

(00:15) Summary

(02:17) Two key paths to impact through electoral politics

(03:10) Why work in US electoral politics?

(03:15) Individuals really can make a difference

(05:01) Why should you run for office?

(07:40) Why should you work for a campaign?

(13:23) Elected leadership matters a great deal

(17:35) Lower-level offices shape higher-level outcomes.

(18:13) Politics is a good option if you expect transformative AI relatively soon.

(19:26) Downsides of working in electoral politics

(19:31) Downsides to running for office

(22:08) Downsides to working on campaigns

(24:20) Would you be a good fit for working in electoral politics?

(24:25) Skills that will help you succeed

(27:05) What experience is useful?

(28:41) What else is helpful?

(29:08) Top roles and where to work

(29:31) Common roles to look for

(29:56) Key places to work

(31:03) Next steps

(32:25) Read next

(32:42) Learn more

(33:08) Acknowledgements

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First published:
April 15th, 2026

Source:
https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/muCAqq6dobgdnvcAC/us-electoral-politics

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.