To What Extent Are Primary Candidates Favored Because of Their Perceived Political Philosophy?

Or, is it their smiles, hair or age?

Here's a poll/quiz/test/survey you can take to measure whether your political preferences reflect politics and policies as opposed to . . . ah . . . more superficial criterion.

If you're interested in this ten-minute exercise, read the orientation below which can save you some time. If not, then click on outta' here and be gone!

Welcome to The Political Compass™

There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left', established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?

On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.

That's about as much as we should tell you for now. After you've responded to the following propositions during the next 3-5 minutes, all will be explained. In each instance, you're asked to choose the response that best describes your feeling: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree. At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.

The test is entirely anonymous. None of your personal details are required, and nothing about your result is recorded or logged in any way. The answers are only used to calculate your reading, and cannot be accessed by anyone, ever.

The idea was developed by a political journalist with a university counselling background, assisted by a professor of social history. They're indebted to people like Wilhelm Reich and Theodor Adorno for their ground-breaking work in this field. We believe that, in an age of diminishing ideology, a new generation in particular will get a better idea of where they stand politically - and the sort of political company they keep.

So are you ready to take the test? Remember that there's no right, wrong or ideal response. It's simply a measure of attitudes and inevitable human contradictions to provide a more integrated definition of where people and parties are really at.

Click here to start.

Omigod! I am not at all near where I thought I was. I always think of myself as in the middle of the road, maximum mainstream, Mr. Moderate and Objective.

I am sure I used to be! I am amazed to finally realize how much Busheney have radicalized me!

Messenger writes:

I note three things:

1. Ron Paul is really not that far away from Gravel and Kucinich.
2. There are no authoritarian leftists in the primaries.
3. I score right where I thought I was.

Here's Hillblogger's political portrait:














Silver Surfer: