We've scrutinised the statements and, more tellingly, the voting records of the hopefuls of some of the parties, in response to requests from many of our American visitors. If you're unhappy because a particular candidate isn't included, spare a thought for the rest of the world who don't have a Political Compass chart for any of their national figures yet ! And please, don't even mention the vice presidential candidates !

Within the United States , of course, real (and imagined) differences between the mainstream candidates are more greatly magnified. However, compared to other western democracies, especially those with a finely-tuned system of proportional representation, most mainstream political activity in the US is concentrated over a more narrow ideological range. We note too that conservative Democrats tend to have more in common with Republicans than with the liberals within their own ranks.


http://www.politicalcompass.org/

 

I took the test, and it listed me as one square left of center, and one square south of the line(towards libertarian) I would be interested to know who it is that came up with this "compass" I am pretty conservative, and relatively certain that a strong government is important. (Just because I think they ought to legalize pot, perhaps it places me in the Hippie category. I think they ought to be taxing it, not spending my money on a largely ineffectual attempt to stem the tide of drug use with misguided "interdiction".)I imagine it is some BS group that is left wing, and places this little excercise out there to make people think they are more liberal than they thought. I also would place kerry much farther left than is indicated on your picture, and more authoritarian than Mr. Bush, with the understanding that this means he wants more government control over more elements of life.

 

Legalization of drugs is a libertarian and progressive thing, not a "hippie" thing.

I would tend to doubt that its some kind of liberal hippie pothead conspiracy to make you think you're more liberal than you actually are. For one thing, they're based in the United Kingdom.

 

not a bad test......I fell right where I thought I would, right in the middle of the bottom left box.

 

that's BS bush is not that far right and kerry even showing up on the right is just messed. kerry has consistently been in the top 4 of the most liberal senators.

 

Liberal is a relative term and the quiz takes into account the entire scale of world politics.

"Within the United States, real and imagined differences between the mainstream candidates are more greatly magnified. However, compared to other western democracies, especially those with a finely-tuned system of proportional representation, most mainstream political activity in the US is concentrated over a more narrow ideological range. We note too that conservative Democrats tend to have more in common with Republicans than with the liberals within their own ranks."

That's right there on the site, and the site is not based in this country.

 

:werd:

Heres mine: [edit] it doesn't show the real cross. imagine a -7.5, -2.5 on the cartesian coords scale [/edit]


I think I'm more of an authoritarian than a libertarian. It must have been the marijuana and the sex questions that put me in the lib category. On most social issues, I'm pretty authoritarian :dunno:

 

I must have missed that part. That's a good point though. :goodjob:

 

Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.72

That looks to put me real close to Nader. Creepy.

And to think 5 years ago I was a Republican. That shows what college at a relatively liberal institution will do to you.

 

I'm pretty close to Nader on the scale too and yet for some reason I think he's a crock pot. :dunno: