Political Compass

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Where do you sit on the political compass?

Firstly, some well known folk...

Political Compass - Famous Folk.jpg (20.46 KiB) Viewed 2014 times

My results...

Political Compass.png (15.71 KiB) Viewed 2014 times

You can do the free test here...

Metta,
Paul.

[DNS]

I'm a centrist just like the Buddha. (middle way)

As expected, I came out just right-of-center. I'm a capitalist with some heart.

Economic Left/Right: 1.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.97

my chart.png (17.32 KiB) Viewed 2001 times

[BlkMettaCat]

I remember taking this before awhile ago. Seems like my results haven't changed much in the last few years.

Economic Left/Right: -7.5
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.74

[No_Mind]

Cannot figure out how to upload the image without storing it in an image sharing site.

Score
Economic Left/Right: -7.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67.

Far left of center as far as economics go and centrist as far as social values go.

It is surprising that I am far left of center. I always thought I believed in capitalism with a heart (and that is how I chose my responses). Of course what might seem left of center in some countries would be viewed as right of center in others but -7.13 on x-axis is leftist with no room for doubt. I cannot be -7.13 on x-axis since I am a strong believer in capitalism. Someone who participated in Occupy Wall Street or sympathized with them would be -7.13. My dream was to be a banker or corporate/tax lawyer (an unfulfilled dream in this life but it remains my goal in next life) which is the polar opposite of OWS movement!! I absolutely do not identify with scruffy participants of OWS (with whom this quiz brackets me).

It did not ask an all important question which is the litmus test for distinguishing between left and right views -- "Capitalism is the only known way to provide sustainable long term economic development" - agree/disagree.

Many questions, such as -- "Controlling inflation is more important than controlling unemployment", are ambiguous; two people may agree but from entirely different motivations. I may want low inflation to help investments grow (thus causing share prices to rise in medium run) and someone else may want low inflation to help keep real wages level (and keep social discontent low). Is it cost push or demand pull inflation that needs controlling? What is high enough inflation is not well defined either .. 4% is considered high inflation in West. .. at 4% inflation newly industrialized countries like India, China will go into recession because it is too low to sustain economic activity in such economies.

In brief, most questions are not well framed. The questions are meant for very narrow wedge of educated middle class in West.

Also how can Gandhi be more liberal than me? He was very religious in his personal life and a celibate from his mid thirties. On other hand, I responded that porn be made legal and that sex outside marriage is fine. Yet I am more authoritarian than him because I said school attendance be made compulsory and that every able bodied person be asked to work?

[Cittasanto]

not changed any since the last time I think.
Your Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: -6.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.44

chart.png (17.26 KiB) Viewed 1960 times

[tiltbillings]

In brief, most questions are not well framed. The questions are meant for very narrow wedge of educated middle class in West.

Also how can Gandhi be more liberal than me? He was very religious in his personal life and a celibate from his mid thirties. On other hand, I responded that porn be made legal and that sex outside marriage is fine. Yet I am more authoritarian than him because I said school attendance be made compulsory and that every able bodied person be asked to work?

It seems that this quiz has its own agenda. It comes across as something of a push-poll.

[No_Mind]

From what little I understand of political science, the antonym of authoritarian is democratic not libertarian. Rather glaring error.

[chownah]

I think there is a typo in the headings for the graph. Souldn't the opposite of authoritarian be librarian?

I mean you've got authors and you've got librarians. Authors write INDIVIDUAL books while librarians make COLLECTIONS of books.....what could be more opposite than that?

I hope this is not construed as a viscious attack on someone.
chownah

[pulga]

Just left of center.

Economic Left/Right: -2.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.67

[katavedi]

Economic Left/Right: -4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.1

[Bundokji]

Economic Left/Right: -4.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.95

Political compass.png (17.26 KiB) Viewed 1858 times

[tiltbillings]

A critique of this "test":

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Political_Compass

[DNS]

From what little I understand of political science, the antonym of authoritarian is democratic not libertarian. Rather glaring error.

That is the case in many instances, though not always. In general the economic scale is the spectrum from socialism to capitalism.

The social scale (vertical) is from authoritarian (iron fist, lots of laws, rules, regulations) and libertarian (few laws, rules and regulations; limited government). In the extreme of authoritarianism, you have fascist regimes. In the extreme of libertarianism you have anarchy.

All extremes are bad, in my opinion.

Democracies tend to have a good balance, but there are some with many laws, rules and regulations (authoritarian). I believe Singapore is one example.

[DNS]

A critique of this "test":
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Political_Compass

I did find the astrology question rather strange. The rationalwiki site has an alternative test linked:
http://www.gotoquiz.com/politics/politi ... -quiz.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I scored about the same on the alternative too, with a slightly more libertarian score, but still mostly centrist.

[Cittasanto]

A critique of this "test":
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Political_Compass

I did find the astrology question rather strange. The rationalwiki site has an alternative test linked:
http://www.gotoquiz.com/politics/politi ... -quiz.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I scored about the same on the alternative too, with a slightly more libertarian score, but still mostly centrist.

This test gave me more authoritarian
You are a left social moderate.
Left: -6.12, Authoritarian: 0.7