Where do you stand?

The Political Compass ^

[Vanders9]

Welcome to The Political Compass™. There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left', established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ? On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.

[Vanders9]

These tests are never completely accurate, but they do give very good broad trends! Besides, I think I agree with the general division of social left/right and economic left/right.

[308MBR]

Something like this needs to be a permanent fixture on FR with the score posted next to the member name. That way, it will be easier to spot trolls, as well as the neocon/Rockefeller Republican/big gov't/right wing socialists.

[KJC1]

I think this "compass" may be skewed. It's usually lefties who try to get people to take it.

[Vanders9]

So what was your score? :)

[prion]

I understand the need for something other than left/right, and I've seen sites similar to this before, but this particular one? Too many of the questions simply couldn't be answered in a way that captured my point of view in any way.

I think if you were building such a thing, you'd want the questions to pass by four people, one each of the extreme of each axis. If they made sense to all four, then go with it.

[demkicker]

Thanks, that was fun.

My political compass:
Economic Left/Right: 2.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.15

[KarlInOhio]

I matched up pretty closely with Milton Freidman. He must be a pretty bright guy.

[JamesP81]

That way, it will be easier to spot trolls, as well as the neocon/Rockefeller Republican/big gov't/right wing socialists.

Actually, I'd want it to spot all those authoritarian conservatives. You know, the ones that say "we've done nothing wrong so we have nothing to fear from the government." While I have no problem with NSA wiretapping because we have open air waves (in the US, broadcasting something, like your phone conversation, over open air is similar to speaking loudly in public) many otherwise intelligent conservatives have this obsession that runs along the lines of too much legislation, too much control, too much 'law and order' if you will. IOW, nanny-staters. I want to be able to spot them. I guess that would be covered in the big govt part of your statement.

[JamesP81]

Too many of the questions simply couldn't be answered in a way that captured my point of view in any way.

That's the problem with many of these. Maybe we should all get together and make our own that's more thoughtfully designed.

[rhombus]

I despise the way these groups try to place well known people on their scale. These people didn't even answer this set of "loaded" questions. This sure seems like more junk science to me.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

So, I'm guessing you were high and to the right on the chart.

Me? I was a little to the right and dead center. Yep, that's me.

Michael Frazier

[Doctor Stochastic]

Scored 0. I disagreed with the premises of the questions and none of the answers correctly described my position.

This is like a "push poll."

[Just another Joe]

Economic Left/Right: 1.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.97

One spot to the right and one spot toward Libertarian from the center.

[Vanders9]

Scored 0. I disagreed with the premises of the questions and none of the answers correctly described my position.

This is like a "push poll."

See my initial comment: "These tests are never completely accurate, but they do give very good broad trends! Besides, I think I agree with the general division of social left/right and economic left/right."


None of them correctly described my exact opinions either. People are always more complex than any attempt to categorise folks.

Get a grip. Its just for fun.

[yooling]

Economic Left/Right: 4.38

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.46

[elkfersupper]

I matched up pretty closely with Milton Freidman.

Same here.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Economic Left/Right: 3.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.77

Sometimes you just have to choose an answer that comes the closest to your opinion ... but it was interesting and entertaining.

[MineralMan]

"This sure seems like more junk science to me.
"

It's not science at all. Reading the questions, from a psychological perspective, they're designed to skew the results.

There's no science in this. It's just another place to play on the internet.

[antisocial]

"Too many of the questions simply couldn't be answered in a way that captured my point of view in any way."

Any test that shows John F'n Kerry as right wing cannot be taken seriously.

Check the section about 2004 US elections

[rhombus]

It's not science at all. Reading the questions, from a psychological perspective, they're designed to skew the results. There's no science in this. It's just another place to play on the internet.

I agree it's not science at all from a psychological perspective or any other kind of perspective. It's nonsense, like all junk science.