The Political Compass

[Edric O]

Every political forum I've ever seen has at least one topic about the Political Compass. Some have more than one, since a new topic on the subject tends to get started every few months or so. I am surprised that we never had a topic dedicated to it here in PRP. If I remember correctly, the last time the Political Compass came up, a lot of people criticized it for trying to over-simplify political issues. And it's true, it is an oversimplification, but so is the traditional Left-Right scale (with the added drawback of being extremely vague).

For those of you who don't already know, the Political Compass is a two-dimensional chart of political views. It attempts to measure political opinions and ideologies on two axes: (1) an economic axis, going from "left" to "right", which represents the dichotomy between collective (left) or individual (right) control of the economy, and (2) a social axis, going from "libertarian" to "authoritarian", which represents the dichotomy between personal liberty and top-down authority. You can take a test to see where you stand in this political spectrum:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

There are many criticisms that can be directed against both the model and the test. As mentioned above, the model is an oversimplification. Anarchism and Stalinism would be placed near each other on the economic axis because they both advocate a collectivized economy, even though their economic systems are in reality vastly different. The social axis does not differentiate between democracy and civil liberties - between political freedoms and civil rights. It just assumes that the two go hand in hand (which is indeed usually the case, but a good model should account for all possible views, no matter how rare).

So the Political Compass will not accurately measure your position if you hold an unusual combination of political views. But for most people it works very well. Take the test, and post your results! I've started a poll to see which quadrants we all fall in; the poll allows you to vote "centrist" as well, because once you get very close to the centre the differences between quadrants become small.

[Edric O]

I've also made a chart that attempts to map all major ideologies onto the Political Compass, so that you can see which ideology is your best fit, depending on your score:

Note #1: "Populism" is not a real ideology. I used that term as a label for a family of moderate authoritarian left ideologies that are called by different names in different countries. Pope John Paul II falls within that area, as does Mother Teresa and a number of left-leaning Christian Democratic parties in Latin America (in Europe the Christian Democrats are firmly in the conservative camp). Hugo Chavez also falls in the "populism" area, and he inspired the name.

Note #2: "Iron Fist Capitalism" is not the official name of an ideology either. I used it as a label for political views that combine a fascist obsession with hierarchy, obedience and state authority with a fanatical belief in free market capitalism and unrestrained economic competition. This covers a number of US-sponsored Cold War dictators, most notably Augusto Pinochet.

Note #3: Environmentalists - that is to say, the "Greens" - can be found anywhere in a wide area around the libertarian left quadrant of the Compass, and it is even possible for some of them to be authoritarians, but the small area I have designated for them is the area where most Green parties and organizations are located today.

* * * * *

And if you're wondering about my own score, here it is:

Economic Left/Right: -10.00

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.85

I am located around the middle of the Communism area.

[TMA_1]

havent you talked about this compass a few other times?

nevertheless, it is pretty cool, Ill join in. I would probably fit somewhere in the socialism block.

[gunner154]

This is my third time taking the test (I think my first exposure was through this forum... and was it you who told us about it, Edric O? ;)) and I'm not surprised at the results. It's been easily at least 3 years since my first attempt and I've been a leftist libertarian consistently.

Economic Left/Right: -4.75

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.18

I'm somewhere in the social democracy. But very close to socialism. :P

[Anathema]

Weird. Somebody else on another forum I visit also started a thread like this only two days ago.

The results I scored then:

Economic Left/Right: 2.00 Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.15

The funny thing is that for a lot of people this test turns out different results than expected, like self-proclaimed moderate leftists ending up in that part of the chart wich Edric has labeled communist or anarchist.

I'm in the liberal bloc, as I had expected.

[Khan]

Economic Left/Right: -4.50

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.21

Ew I'm a green, Although I'd put myself more in the social democracy side.

[Egeides]

Ew I'm a green, Although I'd put myself more in the social democracy side.

I think that not only Greens cover that area, so you can still call yourself Orange if you like!

Environmentalism covers large and wide I think. On the one hand it opposed short-term cash-decisions, on the other it has recently opposed poorer countries trying to get cheaper cars (wired.com). And it could take any pro-environment fan from whatever political orientation except "do-whatever-ism", really.

[Khan]

Yeah I know its just that label... That and i've always been usually in opposition to green groups whenever I've come into contact with their politics.

[Dante]

Once more, I am a lefty libertarian. Just. Slightly below the first a in "Social Democracy."

This I think demonstrates the errors in the quiz quite nicely. As Edric stated, possibly thinking of me at the time, "The social axis does not differentiate between democracy and civil liberties - between political freedoms and civil rights. It just assumes that the two go hand in hand (which is indeed usually the case, but a good model should account for all possible views, no matter how rare)."

How true.

[Caid Ivik]

really, it is no deja vu, there already had been a forum about this thing few years ago - http://forum.dune2k.com/index.php?topic=10120.0

it's pretty to see our political opinions becoming more and more radical  ;)  just I am -1,74, on a liberal side, terrible...

[Khan]

I have seen an actual 3D model of a political compass, which took civil and political ideas as different different things.

[Caid Ivik]

well, "cives" is a latin word for "polis", I have no idea where the difference could be

[Edric O]

The funny thing is that for a lot of people this test turns out different results than expected, like self-proclaimed moderate leftists ending up in that part of the chart wich Edric has labeled communist or anarchist.

That is a result of the fact that the test - like any test - has a finite number of questions. There are about 60 questions, I believe, so your political views are judged based on your opinions on 60 specific issues. You could have radical opinions on those 60 issues but moderate opinions on everything else. This would make you a moderate overall, but the test would score you as a radical.

Also, the test only covers your political goals, not the means by which you want to achieve them. So it does not discriminate between reformists and revolutionaries.

[nemafakei]

"well, "cives" is a latin word for "polis", I have no idea where the difference could be"

Um, no. cives is used for πολιτης but that doesn't necessarily make them the same thing; besides, what came into English was civilis and πολιτικος, which both definitely got used for different things.

Civil freedom and political freedom are largely the same thing - or at least one begins where the other leaves off. Civil freedom and political ideas, though, aren't - "political ideas" is a much broader phrase.

[Caid Ivik]

I found it weird that they don't expand or at least update the issues, few of them are really ideological; but questions of racism are generally an anachronism today, also there was a question "do you agree that the rich are too highly taxed?", which has a different meaning in, for example, Sweden than in Russia, and I doubt the programmer lets the system to search for my IP address for relevance...

"well, "cives" is a latin word for "polis", I have no idea where the difference could be"

Um, no. cives is used for πολιτης but that doesn't necessarily make them the same thing; besides, what came into English was civilis and πολιτικος, which both definitely got used for different things.

Civil freedom and political freedom are largely the same thing - or at least one begins where the other leaves off. Civil freedom and political ideas, though, aren't - "political ideas" is a much broader phrase.

uff... yes, "civitas" is the correct latin equivalent of "polis"; the point is that "civilian" and "political" matters are generally equivalent terms (although at least in slovak and german we use "civilian" mostly in contrast to "military" matters, while politics include both), matters of a community spatialy bound together inside a town

[Dunenewt]

Economic Left/Right: -2.38

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 4.05

Oh dear...

[Khan]

Gosh close to nationalism there 'Newt. Your party of choice wouldn't happen to begin with B would it ;)

[Dunenewt]

British Conservative Party...why yes, it does.

[gunner154]

Unless we're talking about China...

[Edric O]

Gosh close to nationalism there 'Newt. Your party of choice wouldn't happen to begin with B would it ;)

Actually he's right on the line above the "u" in Populism - putting him just a little above the centre of the Populism square. Not that close to nationalism.

British Conservative Party...why yes, it does.

Are you sure about that? Your economic score seems to make you an enemy of Thatcherism, and you are significantly more economically left-wing than Labour and the Lib Dems, never mind the Tories.

Some other facts about your political views:

- There is less distance between you and me than between me and Anathema.

- You are much closer to Hugo Chavez than I am.

Of course there is no major British party anywhere near your area in the Political Compass - and there might not be any minor ones there, either - but that is true for most of us, given that the three major parties are pretty much indistinguishable these days. Still, out of the four ideologies surrounding the centre, Populism is by far the most underrepresented in Western politics. Most countries have major parties representing Conservatism, Liberalism and Social Democracy (at least in theory), but no major party that would fit even theoretically in the Populism area.

[Anathema]

I think that unexpected results are partly caused by the way people fill in their answers.

I can't name any specific answers, but the answers are always agree/disagree or agree/disagree strongly. While preferably you'd answer something like, "I strongly agree, but only if..."

The best way to deal with the problem (I think) is to vote "agree" and only use "strongly agree" in cases where you agree without reservation, wich was rare for me.

[Dunenewt]

Yes, yes ,yes!  I should start a populist party, and take control of the country.  My political views are rather mismatch, which is why this compass never really works for me. especially with the whole civil rights = political freedom.  I once saw a triangular graph version, in which civil rights were different to political freedom, which got me much closer to the Conservatives.  I am for saving the environment, the war on Iraq, and controlling immigration, and I am against the E.U., the benefit system, and the unethical practises of TNCs, which means I never really do fit in these graphs.  Oh, and I hate Chavez.

[nemafakei]

Well, naturally populists will tend to rival each other more than ally. Don't forget to post yourself up as Authoritarian Left on the poll!

[Edric O]

You should all post your actual numerical scores rather than just saying where you stand on my ideologies chart, because then I could make a detailed chart plotting the views of the PRP regulars. :)

really, it is no deja vu, there already had been a forum about this thing few years ago - http://forum.dune2k.com/index.php?topic=10120.0

Wow, I had completely forgotten about that thread. Obviously I was wrong when I said that this is our first Political Compass topic... But still, it has been five years since the last one.

So let's see how people changed in the 5 years since the last time we did this.

Economic Left/Right: -9.50

Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.31

Economic Left/Right: -10.00

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.85

Not much of a change on the economic axis. I was close to the perfect leftist score back in 2003, and now I have achieved it. I was and remain a communist. On the social axis, on the other hand, I did change quite a bit. I used to be rather libertarian; now I am a centrist.

Economic Left/Right: -8.50

Authoritarian/Libertarian: -5.03

Economic Left/Right: 2.00

Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.15

From socialism to liberalism. You've moved drastically to the right on the economic axis. That is remarkable and highly unfortunate at the same time... What caused such a great change?

just I am -1,74, on a liberal side, terrible...

So if one of your scores is -1.74, what's the other one?

[Dunenewt]