[Stradlater]

So, which is it? Go to http://politicalcompass.org/ and take the test (some of the questions aren't great, but answer honestly and it should be pretty accurate).

If you're centered in anyway (rarer but not impossible)...lean which way you think you are, but reply and let us know that you were centered.

I was centered economically, but until I can think of a plausible system that works as well or better than Capitalism, I'll always lean a little to the right; I was 3 points libertarian.

[voyageur]

Hmm. I ended up as libertarian left, approximately the same as the Dalai Lama on the graph, slightly more libertarian. Still subconsciously influenced by the Ayn Rand I read in high school, I guess.

[christ]

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -3.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.28

Right about where Nelson Mandela lves (maybe up and right a bit).

Independent of the test I would have put myself just up and right of centre, way left of Simey and Spliff.

[ThinkInsane]

Economic Left/Right: -1.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.31


[edit]

Removed the generic graph. Quite frankly, this whole test has shown that I am indeed a dumbass.

[osiris]

Economic Left/Right: -7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.64

That puts me right there with Ghandi.

However, if gun control was included as a question I'd be a little more on the right.

[Developer]

Economic Left/Right: -3.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.59

Allegedly somewhere close to "The Dalai Lama".

Gun control is no left/right but a liberal/authoritarian thing.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Economic Left/Right: 6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.13

I would have probably put myself more on the libertarian scale (i.e. more negative on the social scale). I found a lot of the questions to have some questionable assumptions.

It's interesting that none of their examples of where politicians stand were in my right/libertarian quadrant. Is there just something about politicians that pushes them into the authoritarian corner? Some need to tell people what to do or think?

[spiky_dog]

Economic Left/Right: -3.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.59

which matches up pretty well with my assessment of those in other corners

[dtriska]

Economic Left/Right: -2.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.97

Just about where my former prime minister is located.

[lil'babykitten]

Left Libertarian

Economic Left/Right: -2.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.15

[Shaddim]

Right Libertarian:

Economic Left/Right: 4.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.15

Just about where I would have guessed, though perhaps not quite so far right.

Wow, my dad (who came over for a visit) just got:

Economic Left/Right: 6.55
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 6.41

Scary...

[kindbud]

Economic Left/Right: 5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67

[lil'babykitten]

BTW- ThinkInsane, I think you've posted the image that they provide as an example to understanding the graph!

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
I found a lot of the questions to have some questionable assumptions.

Yeah, some of the questions aren't worded very well, but most of the time you can figure out the purpose of those questions and answer accordingly.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
BTW- ThinkInsane, I think you've posted the image that they provide as an example to understanding the graph!

Yeah, that's not a personalized picture, if that was your intention, but maybe you were just posting the example for others to see.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by MacNStein:
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 6.41

Scary...

indeed!

I don't know anyone that's gotten higher than a 2, authoritarian-wise.

[Shaddim]

Originally posted by Stradlater:
indeed!

I don't know anyone that's gotten higher than a 2, authoritarian-wise.

He's former military intel...

[MacGorilla]

Economic Left/Right: -6.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.03

Yep, I'm a left wing nut

Though some of the questions were too black and white: Legallize marijuana? That's pretty broad. I'm for the legalliation of medical marijuana but not for across the board legallisation.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by MacGorilla:
Though some of the questions were too black and white: Legallize marijuana? That's pretty broad. I'm for the legalliation of medical marijuana but not for across the board legallisation.

True, but for those, you can "agree" instead of "strongly agree."

[kindbud]

just as I figured.

Me and Simey are the two most level-headed mofos in attendance.

nearly no deviation from straight rightwing. Not too far right, but solidly right.

we rock.

[MacGorilla]

Originally posted by kindbud:
just as I figured.

Me and Simey are the two most level-headed mofos in attendance.

nearly no deviation from straight rightwing. Not too far right, but solidly right.

we rock.

And i'm your faithful opposition on the left. Let's get ready to ruuuuuuuuuummmmbbbbbbllllleeee!!!

[kindbud]

As long as I keep quiet, my team will win almost any debate.

[Joshua]

Economic Left/Right: 5.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.37

[BRussell]

I'm right between William Shatner and e. e. cummings. Totally opposite W. A Mozart!

[vmpaul]

Economic Left/Right: -1.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.72

[nonhuman]

Almost all the way towards Libertarian (-6.67) and dead center between left and right.

[eklipse]

Economic Left/Right: 0.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.36

[vmarks]

Right Libertarian. As it should be.

[Captain Obvious]

Economic Left/Right: -.40
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.15

This test sucks, it put me just a bit over the left side. It didn't take into consideration the rationalization of some of the answers. Like pot should be legalized because we can tax the crap out of it, and abortions should be legal because the poor would be the most affected. Thus having more kids they can't support and adding to the welfare state. Not to mention that anyone who can afford to support an adopted child and aren't abusive should be able to get a kid so they can be raised in a more normalized environment hopefully making them a more productive member of society.

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard:Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold

[vmarks]

Originally posted by Captain Obvious:
Economic Left/Right: -.40
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.15

This test sucks, it put me just a bit over the left side. It didn't take into consideration the rationalization of some of the answers. Like pot should be legalized because we can tax the crap out of it, and abortions should be legal because the poor would be the most affected. Thus having more kids they can't support and adding to the welfare state. Not to mention that anyone who can afford to support an adopted child and aren't abusive should be able to get a kid so they can be raised in a more normalized environment hopefully making them a more productive member of society.

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard:Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold

Ah wait- but don't nomadic folks lack the concept of land ownership? Don't some Native American Indian tribes reject land ownership notions traditionally on the basis that the land exists before and after a man's lifetime? Doesn't communism/socialism in a broad sense speak of communal/social property ownership, including land?

Land ownership makes sense to me, as does strong private property rights, both physical and economic, but it doesn't to the authoritarian left.

Truly, there were some questions that were very whacky, and no option to not answer the question.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by vmarks:
Truly, there were some questions that were very whacky, and no option to not answer the question.

I agree, but it was always quite easy to figure out what those questions' intentions were and how to answer accordingly.

[hyteckit]

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
BTW- ThinkInsane, I think you've posted the image that they provide as an example to understanding the graph!

I know. I thought it was my graph too and it scared the sh*t outta me. I thought I was liberal and to the left and then the graph showed I was a authoritarian to the right.

Here is mine:

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.13

I need to change my vote from authoritarian right to liberal left. I'm close to Nelson Mandela.

[hyteckit]

Wow, look at me. I'm gunning for communism. :-)

[moki]

Economic Left/Right: 1.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.56

[Sven G]

Left libertarian for me.

... But the test indeed sucks, not only for the limited answering options, but also because it assumes that the "center" - the origin, the (0,0) coordinates point - is something static and fixed, when it should rather be dynamic, within a multi-dimensional context (and not only political, of course).

In a few words, being in the (0,0) point of that test doesn't mean that one is more "equilibrated" politically - and, IMO, authoritarianism and libertarianism aren't reciprocally annihiliating "opposites", but, rather, the former fundamentally means static rigidity, while the latter more means dynamic positive change.

The same for "left" and "right": rather meaningless concepts, being that the center isn't so much representative of human values, but rather is an artificious concept (see above).

Not so clear, maybe: but one thing is clear, and that is that tests of any kind suck because of their abstraction from reality...

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by Sven G:
Left libertarian for me.

... But the test indeed sucks, not only for the limited answering options, but also because it assumes that the "center" - the origin, the (0,0) coordinates point - is something static and fixed, when it should rather be dynamic, within a multi-dimensional context (and not only political, of course).

In a few words, being in the (0,0) point of that test doesn't mean that one is more "equilibrated" politically - and, IMO, authoritarianism and libertarianism aren't reciprocally annihiliating "opposites", but, rather, the former fundamentally means static rigidity, while the latter more means dynamic positive change.

The same for "left" and "right": rather meaningless concepts, being that the center isn't so much representative of human values, but rather is an artificious concept (see above).

Not so clear, maybe: but one thing is clear, and that is that tests of any kind suck because of their abstraction from reality...

I'm impressed. English is your second language, yet you have completely mastered the art of academic gobbledegook. "IMO, authoritarianism and libertarianism aren't reciprocally annihiliating "opposites", but, rather, the former fundamentally means static rigidity, while the latter more means dynamic positive change." Add a couple of footnotes (prefereably to Foucault), and that would be almost PhD level.

[Sven G]

OK - maybe I'll write a book!

Anyway, you're right that it was a little too involved. Here's a more clear version: authoritarianism and libertarianism, left and right are (IMO) concepts which can be defined relative to many possible "centers": not necessarily the center of today's liberal democracies (which, obviously, take themselves as the point of reference from which to measure everything). I'd also add at least another, 3rd axis to the compass (which isn't necessarily a "magnetic" compass, but could also refer to other basic forces): that is, formal vs. substantial.

For correctness, I must say that I took a beer before writing the post above!

[SimeyTheLimey]

Except I think you are wrong anyway. Authoritarianism isn't the same thing as static rigidity. Stalinist and Maoist collectivization were hardly static rigidity yet they certainly were authoritarian.

Authoritarian basically just means that decisions are made by something other than the individual. Usually, it is the state. Libertarianism allows the individual more room to make individual choices. Those choices can be for change, or to leave things as they are. Likewise, authoritarianim can be centrally-orders change, or centrally-ordered resistance to change.

Your analysis just takes all the axes and superimposes them on each other. But all politics does not revolve around the idea of openess or resistance to change. That's why this model is more sophisticated than a simple left/right axis.

I agree with you, however, that this model puts the center line in an arbitrary place. But that is just because what is centerist in one country might be left (or right) in another. And the same holds true on the other axis. But at the end of the day, you have to put the center somewhere.

[Logic]

Your political compass


Economic Left/Right: -2.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.49

[Sven G]

BTW, just to have some semi-serious fun, there are two rather interesting (YMMV) Quizilla! political quizzes here and here...

[chris v]

Economic Left/Right: -5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.03

Heh. I'm the Dalai Lama, according to that thing.

CV

[ThinkInsane]

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
BTW- ThinkInsane, I think you've posted the image that they provide as an example to understanding the graph!

Yeah, I fixed that. But hey, the intersecting points on that example graph were pretty close to where I scored, so it still works.