Just took the Political Compass test again. The last time was in 2003. I find this analysis is much more meaningful than the traditional left/right or liberal/conservative analysis that takes place in the media or blogs. Check it out and take the test. If you’re feeling brave, post your results below in the comments. Here is mine:
You should read the site before analyzing my results. 
Personally, I think they’re about right. The only thing is that I’m pretty sure I would govern closer to the purple quadrant if I were in government. I tend to answer the questions they ask with my “ideal” answer, but I’m not an idealist by nature. I’m way more pragmatic when it comes to actually creating laws. I should take the test again with that frame in mind and see where I end up.
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September 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=-4.12&soc=-5.74
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I have always said I am 4 degrees from tap dead center… guess it’s closer:
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=0.38&soc=-0.51
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I love quizzes! http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=0.50&soc=-2.15
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Doug, you’re left wing by American political standards: http://politicalcompass.org/usprimaries2008
Sujal
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Economic Left/Right: 0.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.90
I’m just into the purple box. We’re actually pretty close on social issues, which doesn’t surprise me.
Edit by sujal: http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=0.62&soc=-3.90
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
http://politicalcompass.org/facebook/pcgraphpng.php?ec=2.25&soc=-3.79
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
So, I answered the questions again, this time trying to think of a policy I would actually implement for my answer for each question.
For example, I answered “agree” to the bottled water question because I think it is kinda silly that we have bottled water with marketing campaigns, but I would never in a million years advocate we ban it or otherwise regulate it. I had similar reversals around a number of business questions, it seems, and ended up with this:
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=0.88&soc=-4.15
This kinda makes sense to me and I don’t think it’s a contradiction.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Amazing…so close…
Yet Sujal is an Obama supporter and I’m not sure I can hold my nose long enough to vote for him. Tamar and Sujal are almost on top of each other and she is leaning towards McCain.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I guess I’m not as liberal as I once was…or I’m just less than I thought I was.
Here’s my graph.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
BADMD, I think there’s a reason for this, and it has to do with the graph I posted up top. Choosing a candidate is a leap of faith at some level unless it’s an incumbent. We’ve never seen McCain or Obama in a position like they would have as President. Perhaps a governor would be close, but regardless, part of the “leap” is tuning into the aspirational parts of their speech.
Obama talks about a country closer to my “ideal” situation. When he talks about being our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, it appeals to that instinct though it makes my libertarian instincts cringe a bit. I can’t say why McCain appeals to you, so maybe I’m off, but I think this works for me and Obama.
Where my intellect has no evidence to go on, I’m relying on estimations of character and his instincts. I see intellectual rigor and a desire to help those in trouble, which matches my personality quite well.
Of course, my rational brain sees a lot to like, too, but I’ve laid that out elsewhere (probably at too great a length for everyone else
).
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Surprised myself a little bit.
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=-1.50&soc=-1.18
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Put me down for Economic Left/Right: -5.75, Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.31
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Maybe by the creators of the graph standards, I would apparently be “left wing,” but by my standards it only confirms what I have always known; I am a centrist. There are issues that I agree with on the right and there are issues I agree with on the left but more importnatly, I have always stated that good legislation comes from an honest dialogue from all sides. Good solutions come from the best parts of all of those ideas/discussions.
As I have always said, I am a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. Or as Popeye would say, “I am what I am.”
September 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
i’ve moved more left and more libertarian since i last took this.
Economic Left/Right: -5.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.38
http://politicalcompass.org/facebook/pcgraphpng.php?ec=-5.12&soc=-5.3