The Political Compass

When the subject of defining "liberal" and "conservative" came up in another thread, I was reminded of how a one-dimensional line segment is as a model for political, social and economic attitudes. So, with a little searching, I managed to find a site that I encountered in another forum years ago that spreads matters out over a (two-dimensional) plane, and perhaps it has even come up in this forum before: http://www.politicalcompass.org/index

I took the test and came up with these numbers:

Economic Left/Right: -9.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.95

I'll have to do a little digging to find out how I fared when I last took the test several years ago, but the outcome was similar. It would be interesting to see where others around here turn up. Who are our Stalins, Thatchers and Gandhis?

This is technically not a debate topic as yet, though the merits of the "compass" model versus the more common "spectrum" model could certainly engender debate. Moreover, all of the debate that goes on around here would have to be, I think, a reflection of the varying coordinates of folks on the plane. It's all mathematics, you see!

Economic Left/Right: -3.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.56

Thread 130622

Originally posted by Soothfast
When the subject of defining "liberal" and "conservative" came up in another thread, I was reminded of how a one-dimensional line segment is as a model for political, social and economic attitudes. So, with a little searching, I managed to find a site that I encountered in another forum years ago that spreads matters out over a (two-dimensional) plane, an ...[text shortened]... tion of the varying coordinates of folks on the plane. It's all mathematics, you see!

Originally posted by Soothfast
When the subject of defining "liberal" and "conservative" came up in another thread, I was reminded of how a one-dimensional line segment is as a model for political, social and economic attitudes. So, with a little searching, I managed to find a site that I encountered in another forum years ago that spreads matters out over a (two-dimensional) plane, an ...[text shortened]... tion of the varying coordinates of folks on the plane. It's all mathematics, you see!

Okay, these are the entrees which I find questionable as to their value in ascertaining ideology.

"When you are troubled, it's better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things."

And this one:

"A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system."


Well, I do believe that it's a significant advantage. However, I also believe that the advantage in no way justifies such a system. So how do I answer that one?


Or this one:

"Abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all."

What does taste in art have to do with ideology?

And this one?

"Astrology accurately explains many things."


And issues of sexual morality really don't apply either, since you can believe that something is immoral but not that the state has any business imposing morality.

In any case, I lean to the left economically -8.25 and below the line in libertarian territory -6.82, right near Gandhi.

Some of the questions are a bit vague, and it's probably a bit short too.

Economic Left/Right: -4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.49

Economic Left/Right: -9.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.46

I didn't get a perfect score because I said it was OK for parents to beat their children.

Originally posted by rwingett
Economic Left/Right: -9.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.46

I didn't get a perfect score because I said it was OK for parents to beat their children.

Originally posted by no1marauder
There's been at least two threads in this forum over the years with people taking that test.

Anyway, I think the test is, like most tests of this nature that try to quantify human traits and attitudes (including IQ tests), not really that accurate. That is, it does not really reveal a person's soul or indicate what they're truly like inside. If Stalin took the test he probably would get a score somewhere in the neighborhood of Gandhi, for instance.

Also, I wish each item on the test had a "Neutral" option.

Also, yes, there are scads of "false dichotomies" in the test (hence my wish for a neutral option in order to opt out).

I do recall getting significantly different scores the last two times I took this, and THAT may be informative. I'm always in Quadrant III, though.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=0.00&soc=0.51

Economic Left/Right: 0.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.51

I feel I've been perhaps too harsh on the corporations.

Originally posted by Soothfast
When the subject of defining "liberal" and "conservative" came up in another thread, I was reminded of how a one-dimensional line segment is as a model for political, social and economic attitudes. So, with a little searching, I managed to find a site that I encountered in another forum years ago that spreads matters out over a (two-dimensional) plane, an tion of the varying coordinates of folks on the plane. It's all mathematics, you see!

Originally posted by Kunsoo
"Abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all."

What does taste in art have to do with ideology?

Economic Left/Right: -8.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.33

This is the only question I am worried about:
First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country.

It's an automatic assumption that you mean that it's a bad thing that they're not integrated.
Personally, however, I feel integration is not neccesairly good.

I took the test a while ago and cannot find my results (the topic came up a number of times in RHP, might do it again soon if I have the time).

I was also in the far bottom left quadrant.