I've taken that test a few times over the years. Typically, I fall into the somewhat Socially Lib and center economically.
That said, the economics questions on the test are completely ridiculous. Many of them are built on a false dichotomy. Others leave no room for any degree of moderation. In order to get an accurate economics score, one has to mix over extreme responses.
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Originally posted by spruce112358I've taken it a bunch of times. My average is about -1,-1. I once ended in the Friedman quadrant though.
Pretty centrist as expected. But proud to be in the same quadrant as good old Milt Friedman!
Economic Left/Right: 0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.44
I posit that if everyone here took the test, only the real right wingers would be in quadrant 1. Yet, if the site is to be believed, every mainstream American politician belongs there.
We should write our own political compass test that would be a better predictor of electoral politics.
Originally posted by sh76I honestly believe the country is left of center. This is just from my own anecdotal perspective discussing different issues with different people over the years. But when you ask people to label themselves, it's a different story. The right did a good job dirtying the word, "Liberal" and selling the label, "Conservative"
I've taken it a bunch of times. My average is about -1,-1. I once ended in the Friedman quadrant though.
I posit that if everyone here took the test, only the real right wingers would be in quadrant 1. Yet, if the site is to be believed, every mainstream American politician belongs there.
We should write our own political compass test that would be a better predictor of electoral politics.
On fiscal government, most people contradict themselves. They want the government to spend less, but mention any major expenditure and they don't want the government to cut or eliminate any of them. To top it off they don't want to pay taxes to fund them.
Originally posted by USArmyParatrooperWell, that depends on how you define "left of center", I guess. However, I'm pretty sure that sh76 would vote for a party left of the Dems, if he were living here. He'd vote VVD.
I honestly believe the country is left of center. This is just from my own anecdotal perspective discussing different issues with different people over the years. But when you ask people to label themselves, it's a different story. The right did a good job dirtying the word, "Liberal" and selling the label, "Conservative"
On fiscal government, ...[text shortened]... to cut or eliminate any of them. To top it off they don't want to pay taxes to fund them.
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Originally posted by KazetNagorraYou got a page in English for me where I can read about VVD? 🙂
Well, that depends on how you define "left of center", I guess. However, I'm pretty sure that sh76 would vote for a party left of the Dems, if he were living here. He'd vote VVD.
Edit: NM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VVD
Originally posted by sh76Their proposed tax cuts would still leave taxes much higher than Obama levels. They don't want to abolish indefinite welfare checks. They don't want to abolish state funding for schools and subsidies for university tuition (almost all schools are public). The VVD engineered the 2006 health care reforms which were less market-friendly than Obamacare. Socially, they are in favour of gay marriage and were in the government that legalized it. They are also in favour of euthanasia and were also in the government that legalized it. Then there's gun control, but that's more of a cultural thing I guess (it's not really a political issue here).
Well from the Wikipedia article they sound okay.
In what way are they left of the Democratic party?
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Originally posted by KazetNagorra1) Obama would also like Taxes to be higher than Obama levels; he just can't do it politically right now
Their proposed tax cuts would still leave taxes much higher than Obama levels. They don't want to abolish indefinite welfare checks. They don't want to abolish state funding for schools and subsidies for university tuition (almost all schools are public). The VVD engineered the 2006 health care reforms which were less market-friendly than Obamacare. Soc trol, but that's more of a cultural thing I guess (it's not really a political issue here).
2) Depends on how you define welfare. No one is proposing ending indefinite Medicaid, food stamps, etc.; not even Repulicans
3) When did Democrats propose abolishing state funding for schools and colleges? College is also subsidized by the federal government here. Perhaps not to the same extent as in the Netherlands, but Title IV is pretty darn generous. No one, Republican or Democrat, has proposed cutting Title IV spending (though I might).
4) Obamacare was a compromise. Obama himself clearly would have preferred at least a robust public option
5) Most Democrats are in favor of gay marriage
6) Most Democrats are in favor of gun control
I don't see anything so far that puts them to the left of the Democrats.
Economic Left/Right: -2.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.05
I like to think of myself as pretty centrist, but I guess this pegged my liberal tendencies. I thought some fairly significant questions were missing that would have swung me more to the right though: gun control, DADT for a couple examples.
But I guess they can't ask everything.