Political Compass explanation
The main Political Compass page is still the point to add your own score (come on Jon, Rob, and WFBNP) but I decided to add this page due to a comment from Orphi who laments over his negative score (hey I'm even more negative) and asks "I wonder what these numbers mean?".
The political compass site takes the basic Left/Right poles and adds on two more Authoritarian and Libertarian it treats the original LR line as an economic position and the AL line as a social position; but what does that mean?
The LR line determines where you stand on the production of wealth. In simplistic terms those on the far-left believe everything should be state-owned whereas those on the far-right think everything should be privately owned
As Political Compass states this single line means that Gandhi and Mugabe exist at roughly the same point and that can't be right. Add in the AL line and things become clearer.
Again in simplistic terms those at the far-Authoritarian end believe in the state, the construct of country over that of the individual. Those at the far-Libertarian end believe the individual is more important than the collective.
So take someone who thinks all production should be controlled by the state for the state and you're looking at the top-left corner. Someone who thinks the same but that production should be privately owned and you're looking top-right. Despite the traditional point of view that they are opposite to each other (Left and Right) these two share common ground. They both agree that the state is more important than the individual they just disagree how to keep production flowing.
In the lower quadrants we can have someone who thinks that production should be in the hands of the people, but that they should be free to choose what that production is. They appear bottom left. Someone who thinks that production should be in private hands, but also thinks they should be free to do what they choose appears bottom left.
As both I and Orphi appear bottom-left than roughly speaking our outlook appears to be that of letting people do what they want but that some restrictions should apply in terms of the well-being of the individual.
WalkerNo5 appears bottom-right which inclines him more to the position that the individual should be able to take care of themselves.
[Update as per comments. Even I'm getting mixed up with the axes. walkerno5 and I differ in economic terms not libertarian ones]
4 comments:
Hmm, interesting. I've always wondered what the hell the whole left/right deal is supposed to mean…
But of course the common use of the LR line still combines economics with social issues hence the disparity of placing Gandhi (LL) with Mugabe (LA) and the need for so many terms for each different faction.
So the old-fashioned LR line could almost be considered as a diagonal top left to bottom right. With my position so far down the bottom left you can see why I disliked being categorised as just Left.
WALKERNO5 - I might get a proper account one day!
I don't necessarily hold to the position that the individual should be ABLE to take care of themselves - just that they should be allowed the opportunity to do so in preference to the state stepping in.
I'm all for some welfare, which is why i'm not totally to the right on the economic line.
I am very much in favour of personal rights and freedoms - which entails the rights and freedoms of others as a natural consequence.
Thank you for the clarification on your politics, always welcome.
Again in that respect we both agree hence why we're both in the bottom quadrants rather than the upper ones.
My error I think even I'm getting mixed between the two axes. You're to the right economically I'm to the left. I should have said that according to the figures you're more for private over public enterprise, we're both for freedom of the individual.
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