About The Political Compass™

In the introduction, we explained the inadequacies of the traditional left-right line.

In the introduction, we explained the inadequacies of the traditional left-right line.

If we recognise that this is essentially an economic line it's fine, as far as it goes.
We can show, for example, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot, with their commitment to
a totally controlled economy, on the hard left. Socialists like Mahatma Gandhi and
Robert Mugabe would occupy a less extreme leftist position. Margaret Thatcher
would be well over to the right, but further right still would be someone like that
ultimate free marketeer, General Pinochet.

That deals with economics, but the social dimension is also important in politics.
That's the one that the mere left-right scale doesn't adequately address.
So we've added one, ranging in positions from extreme authoritarian to extreme libertarian.

Both an economic dimension and a social dimension are important factors for a proper
political analysis. By adding the social dimension you can show that Stalin was an
authoritarian leftist (ie the state is more important than the individual) and that Gandhi,
believing in the supreme value of each individual, is a liberal leftist. While the former
involves state-imposed arbitary collectivism in the extreme top left, on the extreme
bottom left is voluntary collectivism at regional level, with no state involved. Hundreds
of such anarchist communities exisited in Spain during the civil war period

You can also put Pinochet, who was prepared to sanction mass killing for the sake
of the free market, on the far right as well as in a hardcore authoritarian position.
On the non-socialist side you can distinguish someone like Milton Friedman, who is
anti-state for fiscal rather than social reasons, from Hitler, who wanted to make the
state stronger, even if he wiped out half of humanity in the process.

The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism
is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of
communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism
(i.e. extreme deregulated economy)

The usual understanding of anarchism as a left wing ideology does not take into
account the neo-liberal "anarchism" championed by the likes of Ayn Rand, Milton
Friedman and America's Libertarian Party, which couples social Darwinian right-wing
economics with liberal positions on most social issues. Often their libertarian impulses
stop short of opposition to strong law and order positions, and are more economic in
substance (ie no taxes) so they are not as extremely libertarian as they are extremely
right wing. On the other hand, the classical libertarian collectivism of anarcho-syndicalism
( libertarian socialism) belongs in the bottom left hand corner.

In our home page we demolished the myth that authoritarianism is necessarily "right wing",
with the examples of Robert Mugabe, Pol Pot and Stalin. Similarly Hitler, on an economic
scale, was not an extreme right-winger. His economic policies were broadly Keynesian,
and to the left of some of today's Labour parties. If you could get Hitler and Stalin to sit
down together and avoid economics, the two diehard authoritarians would find plenty
of common ground.

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -5.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.51

A brilliant conversation piece for your office or study ...

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Now you know where you are on The Political Compass™,
you might like to explore the ideas of those with similar
(or wildly differing) views on our Reading List.

A Word about Neo-cons and Neo-libs

U.S.neo-conservatives, with their commitment to high military spending and the
global assertion of national values, tend to be more authoritarian than hard right.
By contrast, neo-liberals, opposed to such moral leadership and, more especially,
the ensuing demands on the tax payer, belong to a further right but less authoritarian region.
Paradoxically, the "free market", in neo-con parlance, also allows for the large-scale
subsidy of the military-industrial complex, a considerable degree of corporate welfare,
and protectionism when deemed in the national interest. These are viewed by neo-libs
as impediments to the unfettered market forces that they champion.

International Chart

A diverse professional team has assessed the words and actions
of internationally known contemporary leaders to give you an idea of how they
relate to each other on the political compass.

We regret the present exclusion of some major leaders,
especially in the developing world. This is due to our inability so
ar to contact independent experts.

How You Can Help Us

A great deal of effort lies behind the development of The Political Compass,
and the realisation of it in practical form. It has occasionally come to our attention
that other sites have tried to exploit our work by copying it, adopting our name,
or linking to us in a dishonest fashion.

If you should come across any such sites, please let us know, so that we can
take appropriate action.

A few critics believe that we should blow with prevailing political winds and
narrow the actual parameters. Please see our FAQ 20.

Thanks from the Political Compass team.

US Primaries 2008

A few words about "The Extreme Right", and a look

at the parties in England's local elections

ICONOCHASMS: How well do you know your political icons ?

New material is regularly added to The Political Compass - please keep coming back !