I will discuss effective field theories for two classes of non-equilibrium systems, one far and one near equilibrium. In the first part I will present an effective response theory for topological driven (Floquet) systems, which are inherently far from equilibrium. As an example, I will discuss a topological chiral Floquet drive coupled to a background $U(1)$ field, which gives rise to a theta term in the effective action. In the second part, I will discuss an ongoing project using effective field theories for hydrodynamics. I will show that chiral diffusion for interacting systems in 1+1 dimensions, which may be relevant to edge transport in quantum Hall systems, has an infrared instability. I will then discuss the fate of this instability.