Political ideology test
A political ideology test that shows its working
This political ideology test compares your answers with 38 ideologies, from anarcho-communism to anarcho-capitalism, and names the closest with a closeness score. You also get the runners-up, twelve axis scores and your place on the political compass. Free and with no account; your answers stay in your browser.
Take the political ideology testSample test result
How the test finds your ideology
- 01
You rate the statements
Seven choices, from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Every answer moves one of twelve axis scores, each from 0 to 100.
- 02
Four axes are compared
Each of the 38 ideologies has a position on four axes: Economy, Power, Intervention and Culture. The test measures the straight-line distance between those four numbers and yours.
- 03
The nearest one is your match
Closeness is 100 minus half that distance, so identical positions score 100. The list is sorted by closeness, so you see the runners-up as well.
A worked example
The sample result above, compared with its closest ideology, Social Liberalism. Each number is the share of the first value on the axis.
| Axis | Sample result | Social Liberalism | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| EconomyCollectivize | 63% | 60% | 3 |
| PowerSecurity | 36% | 40% | 4 |
| InterventionInternationalist | 71% | 60% | 11 |
| CultureProgressive | 82% | 80% | 2 |
Distance: √(3² + 4² + 11² + 2²) = 12.2
Closeness: 100 − 12.2 ÷ 2 ≈ 94%
The other eight axes do not enter the ideology match. They decide your closest country and historical figure, which are compared on all twelve.
Read the full methodologyThe 38 ideologies you can get
Grouped by where they sit on the political compass. Each one has its own page with its position, its nearest neighbours and the historical figures closest to it.
Authoritarian left
Authoritarian centre
Authoritarian right
Centre
Libertarian left
Libertarian centre
Libertarian right
Ideology test or party test?
An ideology test compares your values with schools of thought that have lasted for decades. A party quiz compares them with the current platforms of the parties in one country, which change from one election to the next.
The two can disagree: someone whose values match social democracy may still vote for a centrist or a green party. Use an ideology test to see where your values sit, and a party quiz for your own country to see which ballot comes closest.
Questions about the ideology test
What is my political ideology?
Take the test and the result names the closest of 38 ideologies, with a closeness score and the runners-up. Read it as a description of your answers, not a label you must accept: two people with the same closest ideology can still differ on the other eight axes.
How does a political ideology test work?
You rate 60 statements (or 36, or all 288) from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Your answers become twelve scores, and four of them, Economy, Power, Intervention and Culture, are compared with the position of each ideology. The nearest one is your match.
Which ideologies can I get?
38, from anarcho-communism, Marxism and democratic socialism through social democracy, liberalism and conservatism to neoconservatism, objectivism and anarcho-capitalism. The full list is on this page.
Is the ideology test accurate?
No political test is a validated measuring instrument. The ideology positions come from the open-source 12axes project and are rough sketches in steps of ten, not definitions. If two ideologies are only a few points apart, read about both.
Is it free and anonymous?
Yes. There is no account and no email, and your answers stay in your browser: scores are calculated on your device. The only paid extra is an optional PDF report of your result.
Why is my closest ideology not what I expected?
Only four axes enter the match, and the ideology positions are coarse. Your twelve scores say more than the label, so look at the axes where you sit far from your closest ideology.
Twelve lines. Draw yours.
Take the political ideology test