Policy Paper
Philanthropists create social impact, but undermine democracy
Author:
Emily Johnson
London school of Economics and Political Science, GB
About Emily
Master of Public Policy, Class of 2020, The London
School of Economics and Political Science
Abstract
I focus primarily on the institutional form of the private
philanthropic foundation in the United States to show how
large-scale private philanthropy directly undermines the
fundamental principles of a democratic society. While this
is by no means a novel argument, my aim is to highlight
the unique capability of this form of philanthropy to
efficiently achieve positive social impact and suggest
how best to make use of its advantages for the benefit of
society, while imposing controls to sufficiently mitigate its
undemocratic aspects. I argue that such reforms should
include regulation of the institutional form of the private
foundation, fostering more diverse representation of, and
collaboration between, policy stakeholders, and the use of
innovative financing structures.
How to Cite:
Johnson, E., 2022. Philanthropists create social impact, but undermine democracy. The Public Sphere: Journal of Public Policy, 10(1).
Published on
20 Apr 2022.
Peer Reviewed
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