Political Compass
Nov 1st, 2009 | 98 responses
It’s been a little while since we’ve tried this
One of the hardest things is to determine your own political position because it is only natural to assume you are the mainstream/center and everyone else should be left or right of you.
There are a number of political surveys out there, and they too have some bias, but this one is pretty good at offering evaluation, and if anything it gives us an idea of how we stand compared to each other.
In this survey the higher the positive number the further to the right you are, the higher the negative number denotes how far you are to the left.
A note of caution, many of the questions on the survey are such that you could have a couple answers that fit your views and others don’t have any perfect match. In past occassions of taking the test I’ve ended up as high as 3 or 4 on the economic scale and as low as -1. On the Social scale I’ve ended up as high as 2 or 3 and as low as -2 or -3.
It all depends on how you interpret certain questions (IE what does ‘regulating a company on the environment’. Does it mean reasonable rules or does it mean government takeover.
Try taking it and letting us know how you do.
Just to start the ball rolling.
Economic Left/Right: 0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.21
This is a pretty representative score for myself.
98 Responses to “Political Compass”
Economic Left/Right: 1.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.44
(Insert standard disclaimer about how the questions are biased and/or annoyingly flawed in some other way here)
Economic Left/Right: 6.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.33
Thanks for the responses.
As I said in my original post, it's not so much the questions are flawed, but there is an issue of how to interpret them.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Hans Spee, TMV. TMV said: Political Compass: It’s been a little while since we’ve tried this One of the hardest things is to determine you… http://bit.ly/4Ax9s6 [...]
Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.21
That's about as bull's eye center as you can get. Guess I belong on TMV.
I remember being a bit more conservative economically the first time (a long time ago). I think I was a lot more libertarian too if I recall.
Apparently, I'm closer to the Dhali Lama than I am George Bush or Barack Obama.
Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.21
That's about as bull's eye center as you can get. Guess I belong on TMV.
I remember being a bit more conservative economically the first time (a long time ago). I think I was a lot more libertarian too if I recall.
Apparently, I'm closer to the Dhali Lama than I am George Bush or Barack Obama.
Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.21
That's about as bull's eye center as you can get. Guess I belong on TMV.
I remember being a bit more conservative economically the first time (a long time ago). I think I was a lot more libertarian too if I recall.
Apparently, I'm closer to the Dhali Lama than I am George Bush or Barack Obama.
Interesting that we are exact opposites, both almost dead center
Interesting that we are exact opposites, both almost dead center
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
yikes…last time I took this I was more to the right economically.
The -5 does ring true. I am very liberal on social issues.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Well the second one isn't so much social issues as government authority.
That is what I like about this thread, it shows that one can be quite liberal on economic issues yet believe in a great deal of government control.
Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.31
To me, the most important thing that is left out is the willingness to accept, or even demand, that one's own leanings be tempered by those on the other side. I think I am generally right, but I also know that self-delusion is impossible to self-diagnose. The best way to keep me from making errors and dragging things too far to the left is to have a legitimate counter-balance on the right.
I think that attitude, more than any single issue stance, qualifies me as a moderate. I am a liberal, but I think it's best that the country steer a bit to the right of me.
Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.31
To me, the most important thing that is left out is the willingness to accept, or even demand, that one's own leanings be tempered by those on the other side. I think I am generally right, but I also know that self-delusion is impossible to self-diagnose. The best way to keep me from making errors and dragging things too far to the left is to have a legitimate counter-balance on the right.
I think that attitude, more than any single issue stance, qualifies me as a moderate. I am a liberal, but I think it's best that the country steer a bit to the right of me.
That is intersting.
One thing I've noticed is that most of the responses, so far, have us as anti-authoritarian – or at least on the libertarian side of the line. That may be the one common thread we all share – no matter where we land economically.
>(Insert standard disclaimer about how the questions are biased and/or annoyingly flawed in some other way here)
Well, yes…but the individual numbers are not so meaningful by themselves, what is more important is how those numbers are in *relation* to others. That helps wash out any biases in the questions themselves.
For me, my score is -2.12/-3.74, which means I have remained steady on the libertarian scale over the years, but have slowly drifted to the left economically over the past couple of times I've taken the test.
Here's another test from 3rd Party Central, that matches you with a compatible party:
http://www.3pc.net/matchmaker/quiz.html
It would be interesting to see where some of us end up.
Mine had me firmly in the Constitution Party (83%), with the Libertarian Party a close second (72%).
Economic Left/Right: -2.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.85
I ended up more left than I would have thought. I consider myself a conservative Democrat, but for me, that's a recent leftward trend.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.62
According to the Party Matching Site:
1) Green Party 88%
2) Democratic Party 76%
Economic Left/Right: 1.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.49
Pretty close to the center. Interesting that no world leaders are in the same quadrant as I am.
Economic Left/Right -6.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian -6.15
77% Green Party
73% Natural Law Party
Economic Left/Right: .05
Social Libertarian/Authorian: -.05
Party Matching:
1. Constitution
2. Libertarian
3. Democratic
I'm not a congenial fit for either of the major parties but am closer to the Democratic than to the Republican, something I figured out for myself a long time ago.
I think that the Political Compass is most useful on a gross level. The farther you are from the center, the more ideological you are in one way or another.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.72
My “results” show me as more centrist than some and less centrist than others.
I've taken many similar tests over the years, and each seens weighted a bit differently. I usually show up near center, other times as libertarian, and often leaning liberal.
This question on the test made me laugh out loud:
“When you are troubled, it's better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things.”
I believe that particular philosophy is a little too prevalent today. I like to take a break from concerns as much as the next person – for example I'll be out raking mountains of leaves here in a little while, and drinking a beer and watching a ball game later, but I also think there is too much turning away and too much denial.
As someone far out in Chomsky land I will agree but I would guess that agreement is unsurprising lol.
Wonder how many tried this & didn't report the results. Here are mine, a bit of a surprise on the economic scale, thought I'd be in + territory; no surprise on the social side.
Economic Left/Right: -1.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.77
I agree with JD's observation that, based on the sample so far, the common thread at TMV seems to be a social libertarian bent.
1) Reform Party 78%
2) Green Party 72%
3) Libertarian Party 61%
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -3.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.79
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -2.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.85
Interesting how many of us here seem to be relatively close to each other, while at the same time having some pretty heated threads.
Very true…
I think I moved more to the left economically because I view corp America and the government as almost the same entity these days. And since I am much more libertarian than I am economically left or right, my economics went left this time around.
I just checked out the reform party…interesting, but not my cup of tea.
MSF, call it “Nelson Mandela” land, it sounds less controversial.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: 4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.38
*Ahem!*
“Yes by all means you should shelve your personal convictions in favor of fitting in with a herd label. Here, take our questionaire to see where you”fit”. Now, shut your mind off and follow where that label tells you to go.”
Sincerely, Acme Labelmakers Inc. “our motto: If the label fits, the herd will follow”