This is the political compass test. 

The description below is from the website. 

“Please note that this isn’t a survey, and these aren’t questions. They’re propositions. To question the logic of individual ones that irritate you is to miss the point. Some propositions are extreme, and some are moderate. That’s how we can show you whether you lean towards extremism or moderation on the Compass. Your responses should not be overthought. Some of them are intentionally vague. Their purpose is to trigger reactions in the mind, measuring feelings and prejudices rather than detailed opinions on policy.”

The survey statements are written in italics. The agreement spectrum responses are after in capital letters. SD strongly disagree, D disagree, A agree, SA strongly agree 

On many of these I wrote my response as to why I answered the way I did. On some I didn’t feel like it needed a response. 

Page 1- Just a few propositions to start with, concerning — no less — how you see the country and the world. 

If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations.  A 

I’d always support my country, whether it was right or wrong.  D 

I’d hope I have principles that I live by, and that when those principles are violated, I would stand by the principle, rather than the actor. 

No one chooses their country of birth, so it’s foolish to be proud of it.   D 

I get the logic here, but I don’t know why a person shouldn’t be proud of where they are from. But of course it also depends on how far you take that. I’m American and Sicilian. I’m genuinely proud of some things America has done. I’m also proud of the Sicilian heritage. It’s cool to read of places where my ancestors were from in works from thousands of years ago. What does the founding of America, and the things that happened in Sicily mean for me as a human? Not much. I’m still just me and I’ll have to make my way through the world on my own merits.  

Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races.   D 

No. It’s not a matter of race. I do believe certain cultures are superior to other cultures. But that isn’t divided along racial lines. In fact, a superior culture can be multi-racial.  

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.   D 

I have principles that I want to live by. If I have an enemy, it would be someone who perhaps hates those principles. A third person who hates my enemy may still not accept my principles, and therefore not someone I want to align with. They may be my friend, but they are not necessarily so. 

Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified.  A 

Agreed. International laws are made by people. If those people’s principles don’t align with what is morally right, they may sanction something that is morally wrong. In which case, I don’t have any problem with a military intervention that contradicts a morally deficient law, even when supported by a majority. I realize this is tricky, and there is wisdom in trying to seek redress through the established channels. And I’m not advocating a military adventure every time. I just don’t want to rule it out. I think it could be sometimes justified. 

There is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment.   A 

I don’t necessarily have a problem with fusing information and entertainment; that probably should be done at some level so the information isn’t so dry as to be ignored. But entertainment can be used to obfuscate information… and it probably is being used that way currently. 

Page 2- Now, the economy. We’re talking attitudes here, not the FTSE index 

People are ultimately divided more by class than by nationality.  D 

Wrong. This is a fundamental mistake Marx made in his internationalism. Poor people in America will identify more with upper class people in America more than with a poor person in Vietnam. American’s still share the same language, culture, food, etc. The fascists actually got this correct when they sought to align people along national consciousness rather than Marx’s class consciousness. 

Controlling inflation is more important than controlling unemployment.  D 

This is a trick question for me. I don’t believe the government ought to be controlling either. A properly working free-market will adjust itself to control both those things. So I disagree not because I think controlling unemployment is more important, but because trying to control either with anything other than the free-market is a problem. 

Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation.  A 

While I like free-markets, they require a set of rules and a referee. this is an area where a referee must step in, and the only referee would be the government. 

“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is a fundamentally good idea.  SD 

One of Marx’s axioms, and absolutely wrong. It sounds good in principle and turns out to be deadly in practice. It is dependent on humans fundamentally changing their nature from self-interested to community minded. When the Bolsheviks engaged in actually implementing this, Lenin decreed that it would take an iron fist to people’s heads for an undetermined amount of time to change them. In fact, he said the communists couldn’t promise the change would take place, but they knew it was a goal towards which they were working. The only thing he could promise was the iron fist. They killed millions in the pursuit of this noble-sounding goal. 

The freer the market, the freer the people. A 

Yes. 

It’s a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product.  D 

It is no reflection on our society whatsoever. Drinking water is also available for free from the tap.  

Land shouldn’t be a commodity to be bought and sold.  SD 

Another Marxist belief. Of course, he took it further to say that there should be no private property whatsoever. But it turns out that if people have no hope of ever improving their lot, they give up trying at all. My own view is that justice is a state of affairs that allows people to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and a fundamental part of that is the ability to own a plot of land and work it to produce fruits of your labor. 

It is regrettable that many personal fortunes are made by people who simply manipulate money and contribute nothing to their society.  A 

I can agree that it’s regrettable. I don’t think we can regulate it out, but it would certainly be better to reward people for contributing. 

Protectionism is sometimes necessary in trade.  A 

I’m against protectionism in general, but there may be times when the principle is being violated by another side that would merit reciprocal action. 

The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders.  D 

There is an argument to made for this, but I’m not going to subscribe to it. I think companies do have a responsibility to do what they do without offloading negative consequences to the public. 

The rich are too highly taxed.  A 

I agree that their rates are too high. I can’t say, because I don’t know, about how much they are actually paying. There are all kinds of tax write-offs, and I’m ignorant about the reasons those exist, or for what reasons they were implemented in the first place, so I can’t say whether it would be better to remove them or not. 

Those with the ability to pay should have access to higher standards of medical care.  A 

This sounds like I mean poor people should get less because they are poor. But because I believe in a free market, I believe health care should be removed from insurance and any government intervention. In that case, naturally, those who can pay more will have access to better care. On the flip side, it should bring the cost of care down across the board. But that would never result in absolute equality of care. 

Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public.  A 

A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies.  A 

Yes. A free-market still requires rules of fairness and a referee, and the only possible referee is the government. 

Page 3- Now a look at some of your personal social values … 

Abortion, when the woman’s life is not threatened, should always be illegal.  D 

While I’m against abortion, I would always choose the life of the mother. In general, I agree with the statement, but there may be other reasons and I don’t want to preclude them. 

All authority should be questioned.  A 

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  D 

This is a proposition for proportional response. And in general, I agree with proportional responses to injustice. But there may be occasions where mercy should be shown and I think we need to leave these cases up to humans to make judgment calls. 

Taxpayers should not be expected to prop up any theatres or museums that cannot survive on a commercial basis.  D 

Taxpayer support for cultural institutions is a benefit for all. I am in favor of their support. 

Schools should not make classroom attendance compulsory.  D 

I’m not sure who would attend if it weren’t compulsory. 

All people have their rights, but it is better for all of us that different sorts of people should keep to their own kind.  D 

In general, I think we’re better off being exposed to different ideas. It broadens our understanding of life. 

Good parents sometimes have to spank their children.  A 

It’s natural for children to keep some secrets from their parents.  A 

Possessing marijuana for personal use should not be a criminal offence.   A 

The prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to find jobs.   D 

I think the prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to develop their thinking across a broad spectrum of life. Apprenticing junior to a trade will equip him for work, but we wanted to move away from condemning classes to only certain types of work. A general education is how we open up doors to different areas. 

People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce.  D 

The most important thing for children to learn is to accept discipline.   D 

It’s important that kids learn to accept discipline, but it’s not the most important thing. 

There are no savage and civilised peoples; there are only different cultures.  A 

I agreed with this, but there are certainly cultures that are better than others. I don’t feel like I can support the ‘savage’ v ‘civilized’ dichotomy proposed. There are certainly ‘civilized’ cultures that I don’t want anything to do with. 

Those who are able to work, and refuse the opportunity, should not expect society’s support.   SA 

When you are troubled, it’s better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things.  A 

In general, I agree because I think getting your mind off your troubles will help you. 

First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country.   D 

It’s tough for adults to fully integrate, because they come with fully formed cultural ideas from the old country. But if they come with the desire to integrate, they can. Children coming will, on the other hand, end up fully integrated. 

What’s good for the most successful corporations is always, ultimately, good for all of us.  D 

This one is worded in a way that I can’t really agree with. What’s “good” for the corporation anyway?  

But in another sense, if we, the consumers, vote with our dollars to support that corporation and make it successful, then the corporation aligns with our values. 

But there can be examples of crony capitalism that give corporations success, that isn’t necessarily good for all of us. 

No broadcasting institution, however independent its content, should receive public funding.   A 

Not a fan of this, which I see as different from museums and parks etc. 

Page 4- … and how you see the wider society. 

Our civil liberties are being excessively curbed in the name of counter-terrorism.  D 

I gotta admit, I don’t feel qualified to answer this, but I disagreed because I can’t really think of a way in which I ever notice any curb, so I suppose I can’t agree that my civil liberties are being ‘excessively’ curbed. 

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.   SD 

Bogus wording. While it is true that a significant advantage to a one party state is that it avoids arguments that delay…. implementation of that parties strategies… it may not be ‘progress’ at all, and it certainly isn’t democratic. 

Although the electronic age makes official surveillance easier, only wrongdoers need to be worried.  D 

The problem with this statement is: who is going to decide what constitutes ‘wrongdoing’. It establishes a turn-key authoritarian state, whereby any actions decided in the future as wrongdoing can be retroactively scraped to identify enemies of the state. 

The death penalty should be an option for the most serious crimes.  SA 

In a civilised society, one must always have people above to be obeyed and people below to be commanded.   A 

Ah, if only we could all get along without any kind of government. But our collective experience is that as soon as we congregate, the various individual ideas begin to step on the toes of others. This requires a government to act as a rule maker and arbiter. So there needs to be a law, and police, that are obeyed by the populace. I would disagree if one were to frame this as: there should be a hereditary class of citizens who rule, and another class of citizens who must submit to them. 

Abstract art that doesn’t represent anything shouldn’t be considered art at all.  SD 

My answer is mind your own business. 

In criminal justice, punishment should be more important than rehabilitation.  A 

While the possibility of rehab should be part of the criminal justice system, it’s primary function is to remove the threats that criminals hold to society and hold criminals accountable for their action. 

It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals.   A 

There will be some who will not respond to rehab efforts. That doesn’t mean rehab shouldn’t be on the table, just that certainly some will not respond to it. 

The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist.   D 

Both are important, in different ways. 

Mothers may have careers, but their first duty is to be homemakers.  A 

I do think that where kids are involved, parents have a duty to the home over career. So while this says ‘mothers’, I would also apply it to fathers. But on second thought, I perhaps would answer disagree, because the father could be the one who becomes the primary caregiver. 

Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries.  D    

Uh… wut? I’m ignorant about this, so I just put disagree. 

Making peace with the establishment is an important aspect of maturity.  D 

I suppose it depends on the establishment. In general, yeah, but there can be times when it wouldn’t be. I wouldn’t have wanted to make peace with Communist Russia or Nazi Germany at citizens of either. 

Page 5- If you got through that okay, you’ll find these propositions on religion a breeze. 

Astrology accurately explains many things.  SD 

You cannot be moral without being religious.  D 

I think christianity has been the driver of morality in the west, and people in the west will operate, consciously or unconsciously on those assumptions even when they no longer subscribe to the religion. 

Charity is better than social security as a means of helping the genuinely disadvantaged.  A 

I think it’s better in principle- because it more directly connects humans with other humans. I don’t know if it’s more effective. 

Some people are naturally unlucky.  D 

Perhaps on an individual level, there are some people who suffer through an inordinate amount of ‘bad luck’. Something about the question feels off to me though, and it’s of course difficult for anyone to self-analyze the difference between bad luck and consequences. In general, ‘luck’ will even out over time and populations, but at the individual level, given that luck, by definition, is something that happens randomly, it’s probable that there are cases where individuals suffer from an imbalance of poor luck.  

It is important that my child’s school instills religious values.  D 

Nope. 

Page 6- Finally, a look at sex. 

Sex outside marriage is usually immoral.  A 

A same sex couple in a stable, loving relationship should not be excluded from the possibility of child adoption.  D 

I know same sex couples exist, but I don’t think their relationships are marriage material and I don’t think they ought to have children. 

Pornography, depicting consenting adults, should be legal for the adult population.   D 

I wrestled over this. On one hand, I want to leave people alone even if I don’t agree with them. But there are things we recognize as having societal repercussions, and I think this is an area that I’m growing more comfortable in regulating. I think the downstream effects of this on the population have gone beyond just people enjoying themselves in the privacy of their own homes. What could we practically do? I’m not sure it’s possible to do anything. 

What goes on in a private bedroom between consenting adults is no business of the state.  SA 

No one can feel naturally homosexual.   D 

These days openness about sex has gone too far.   D 

The political compass defines the spectrums as right and left in economic terms, and authoritarian and libertarian in social terms