Updated Political Compass for Candidates of 2012 Presidential Race

Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.67

Wow....I am on the top left damn near in the center.
 
Economic Left/Right: 10.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.56

As many others have said personal views don't really translate into political views and this test assumes that. I'm personally neither socially conservative or socially liberal. I do think that there is too much focus on sex and etc... in society but I do not wish to use the force of the state to try and change anything.

I knew I was fiscally conservative, but goddamn am I fiscally conservative.
 
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Dissent said:
Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.67
Click to expand...

That makes me feel a lot better.

I was Economic Left/Right: 1.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.13

And I thought my score was bad. :D
 
Dissent said:
Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.67

Wow....I am on the top left damn near in the center.
Click to expand...
Bush%2Bconfused%2B2.jpg
 
Please do not allow your ideas to be pigeonholed under some arbitrary labels on a political graph. Adding one more axis to the ridiculous left/right graph does not make it any more reflective of an individual's underlying ideas. However, it does make it easier for individuals to be manipulated into accepting what they perceive as a more accurate label. This is counter-productive, as it only facilitates misrepresentation, collectivist targeting and stereotyping, and group identification.

Emotional attachment toward the label itself, and those individuals that purport to represent it, is extremely damaging. Equally damaging is the irrational hatred that is fostered between individuals who represent themselves with different labels, despite generally believing in many of the same underlying ideas and sharing many of the same goals. The individuals in the media, and other opportunists, gladly step in to fill the role of deciding for individuals who the enemies and allies are for each labeled group, as necessary to drive collective action. Targeting nameless individuals is far more difficult than propagandizing groups of individuals via labels.

Let the labels die. Reject the temptation to accept a label and to label others. Please try to represent yourself by your specific ideas and philosophy. This may be inconvenient at times, but I hope you agree that your ideas are worth explaining. I apologize for the somewhat off-topic rant lol.
 
someperson said:
Please do not allow your ideas to be pigeonholed under some arbitrary labels on a political graph. Adding one more axis to the ridiculous left/right graph does not make it any more reflective of an individual's underlying ideas. However, it does make it easier for individuals to be manipulated into accepting what they perceive as a more accurate label. This is counter-productive, as it only facilitates misrepresentation, collectivist targeting and stereotyping, and group identification.

Emotional attachment toward the label itself, and those individuals that purport to represent it, is extremely damaging. Equally damaging is the irrational hatred that is fostered between individuals who represent themselves with different labels, despite generally believing in many of the same underlying ideas and sharing many of the same goals. The individuals in the media, and other opportunists, gladly step in to fill the role of deciding for individuals who the enemies and allies are for each labeled group, as necessary to drive collective action. Targeting nameless individuals is far more difficult than propagandizing groups of individuals via labels.

Let the labels die. Reject the temptation to accept a label and to label others. Please try to represent yourself by your specific ideas and philosophy. This may be inconvenient at times, but I hope you agree that your ideas are worth explaining. I apologize for the somewhat off-topic rant lol.
Click to expand...

Hear Hear. The nature of this graph is totally arbitrary and as other have pointed out the author of the questions has significant personal bias. Take it as more of a fun exercise.
 
someperson said:
Please do not allow your ideas to be pigeonholed under some arbitrary labels on a political graph.
Click to expand...
I don't think most people here are doing that, though there are a few who seem to be accepting it uncritically.

Adding one more axis to the ridiculous left/right graph does not make it any more reflective of an individual's underlying ideas.
Click to expand...
No, actually, I think it makes it much more reflective of an individual's underlying ideas. For example, on the one-dimensional "Left/Right" spectrum which lumps social authoritarianism and economic libertarianism together, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum might both come out as "Far right" and thus be seen as similarly-aligned, which would, of course, be absurd. A multi-dimensional chart such as these, however, when correctly administered, does actually differentiate with considerable accuracy between people of differing political philosophies, such that, for example, the gaping ideological divide between Ron Paul and all the other presidential aspirants becomes obvious.

Emotional attachment toward the label itself, and those individuals that purport to represent it, is extremely damaging. Equally damaging is the irrational hatred that is fostered between individuals who represent themselves with different labels, despite generally believing in many of the same underlying ideas and sharing many of the same goals. The individuals in the media, and other opportunists, gladly step in to fill the role of deciding for individuals who the enemies and allies are for each labeled group, as necessary to drive collective action. Targeting nameless individuals is far more difficult than propagandizing groups of individuals via labels.

Let the labels die. Reject the temptation to accept a label and to label others. Please try to represent yourself by your specific ideas and philosophy. This may be inconvenient at times, but I hope you agree that your ideas are worth explaining. I apologize for the somewhat off-topic rant lol.
Click to expand...
I haven't seen much hatred here; more intellectual curiosity, really. There has been a little bit of bickering over whether Ron Paul is a libertarian or a paleo-conservative, but nothing that will lose us any votes.
The graphs are based on an individual's answers to questions about specific ideas and philosophy, so they offer an interesting shorthand method of representing one's views without an extended exposition. It is still more important to remain a sovereign individual, not subordinate your beliefs to a perceived collective, and be capable of discussing your beliefs at a deeper and more meaningful level than that of a superficial affiliation, but I think these political philosophy tests-- and labels-- are a perfectly harmless and interesting little exercise.
 
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As I said in the last sentence of my post, it was somewhat off-topic... simply something for individuals to think about. It was not a direct response to behavior that I'd observed in this thread or any other. Thanks for reading!
 
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amberjack said:
It was one of the questions you had to answer in the test: "First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country."
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Oh, I'm a first generation American! :) My parents came here in 1975, but they're pretty assimilated into America and they still keep their culture.

splanky said:
I'm aware of how Obama voted, even though he hasn't done so in over three years. Any formula that puts him on the right side of the political spectrum is a complete joke. As for Romney, Grinch and frothy voting close to Obama, well, that's no surprise, but it sure ain't to the far right.

Just because some left wing nut who thinks everybody in politics is on the far right says it's so doesn't make it so. Anybody with eyes and ears ought to know that Obama, regardless of any formula bias, is AT LEAST on the left side of the line. This thing doesn't just put him on the right, it puts him far to the right. It's utter nonsense.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's true I get what you mean, but all in itself all the candidates, except Ron Paul are entirely alike.
 
I hate this test. I've seen it passed around for years and I can never get beyond the first question:

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

WTF does that even mean?

These are better:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

http://www.bcaplan.com/cgi-bin/purity.cgi

Anarcho-capitalists will have a problem with a couple questions on the libertarian purity test, but it's still pretty good.
 
enoch150 said:
WTF does that even mean?

These are better:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

http://www.bcaplan.com/cgi-bin/purity.cgi

Anarcho-capitalists will have a problem with a couple questions on the libertarian purity test, but it's still pretty good.
Click to expand...

I think it means "economic 'globalisation' should serve humanity/people than trans-continental corporate elite".. but that's just my take and i usually put agree.

I got straight up libertarian on theadvocates.

and a score of 103 on libertarian purity test.

"91-130 points: You have entered the heady realm of hard-core libertarianism. Now doesn't that make you feel worse that you didn't get a perfect score?"
 
Phyxrgon said:
I think it means "economic 'globalisation' should serve humanity/people than trans-continental corporate elite".. but that's just my take and i usually put agree.

I got straight up libertarian on theadvocates.

and a score of 103 on libertarian purity test.

"91-130 points: You have entered the heady realm of hard-core libertarianism. Now doesn't that make you feel worse that you didn't get a perfect score?"
Click to expand...

Yes, but, all trade being voluntary, it always benefits individual people, and corporations are just groups of people. The question doesn't make any sense. Trade can't do anything other than benefit humanity and corporations both, and in equal amounts.

I would have a perfect score on the libertarian purity test, but I couldn't see how vouchers for schools and housing were an improvement from the current system. I'm still forced to pay for it either way.
 
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