If you've read some of my posts here, especially the opening one, you know that I resist trying to wear a single political label. If pressed, I tend to call myself a "moderate conservative with strong libertarian tendencies and a few liberal skeletons in the closet," but protesting that that description doesn't cover everything.
One of the problems today for "ordinary people" (those who aren't consumed by all things political every hour of their waking lives) is that they keep hearing the politicians talk about "the left" and "the right" and not being able to use those labels to usefully describe their own political leanings. The left-right continuum goes back a long way, and maybe it's too simplistic, or at least has outlived its usefulness. Isn't there a more nuanced way to zero in on political beliefs?
Yes, and here's one I discovered a few years ago and found illuminating. It's the world's shortest political quiz, and based on your answers to questions about government control of both economic and social issues, puts you into one of four quadrants: liberal, conservative, libertarian or statist. It's not perfect, but at least it doesn't try to fit you into one of only two belief systems.
When I take the quiz, I come out libertarian, but barely out of the "centrist" descriptor (it apparently doesn't work to link to your own personal quiz results; no matter how you answer the questions, the link makes it appear you are a centrist). I'd be interested to know where you fit.
Comments
I come out as a Libertarian. I get a 90 on Economic issues and a 70 on Personal issues.
I agree with all of the questions on Economic issues except removing all barriers to international trade. On that issue I am a maybe. I tend to like free trade; but, I have to say there are exceptions.
I agree with all of the questions on Personal issues except for two.
I am a NO on military service. I am a military veteran. I do not believe in the draft unless we are in a war. And I am talking about a real war; not the war on terrorism. If we are ever in a real shooting war; one in which we actually declare war on a country, then a think a military draft is justified. For example, we should have been able to draft people into military service during World War Two!
I am a maybe on legalizing drugs. Drugs should be controlled by the fifty states not the Federal government. I tend to think each state should make its own drug laws. This would end up with drugs being legal in some places and not legal in others.
I think the quiz is very interesting and I look forward to seeing other people's comments on the quiz.
I guess it might sacrifice because it's a short quiz, but its language and choice of questions seem designed to make everyone a libertarian.
I say this as someone who considers himself a small "l" libertarian. I think farm subsidies are an enormous problem and the War on (Some) Drugs has been a horrible failure. Government should not be "small enough to fit into your bedroom."