PoliticalTests

Abraham Lincoln vs Thomas Jefferson

69% alikeCompared on 10 of 12 axes
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

1809-1865United States
  • 16th President of the United States
  • U.S. Representative from Illinois

Illinois lawyer and first Republican president who opposed the expansion of slavery, led the Union through the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation and backed tariffs, homesteads and land-grant colleges.

Full profile of Abraham Lincoln
Portrait of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

1743-1826United States
  • 3rd President of the United States
  • Principal author of the Declaration of Independence

Author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president who championed limited federal government, states' rights, an agrarian republic and the separation of church and state, while holding hundreds of people in slavery.

Full profile of Thomas Jefferson

In short

How they compare

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) and Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) are a 69% match on the 10 axes where both have a clear record.

They differ most on structure (Abraham Lincoln: central (moderate); Thomas Jefferson: local (moderate)), security (Abraham Lincoln: order (moderate); Thomas Jefferson: liberty (moderate)) and religion (Abraham Lincoln: religious (mild); Thomas Jefferson: secular (moderate)). They are closest on morality, ownership and welfare.

On the economy Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets; on state and liberty Abraham Lincoln sits further toward authority; on society their positions are close; on the world stage Abraham Lincoln sits further toward nation.

Generated from the two sourced profiles on this site. Each axis placement and its reasoning is on the full profile pages.

★ By family of axes

Economy3 axes
Abraham Lincolnmarkets (mild)Thomas Jeffersonmarkets (moderate)
State and liberty3 axes
Abraham Lincolnauthority (moderate)Thomas Jeffersonliberty (moderate)
Society3 axes
Abraham LincolnbalancedThomas Jeffersonbalanced
World1 axis
Abraham Lincolnnation (moderate)Thomas Jeffersonglobal (mild)
ECONOMYSTATE AND LIBERTYSOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
  • Abraham Lincoln: petals and stars
  • Thomas Jefferson: dashed outline

★ Where they differ most

  • Structure120 points apart

    Abraham Lincoln: Central (moderate). Thomas Jefferson: Local (moderate).

  • Security85 points apart

    Abraham Lincoln: Order (moderate). Thomas Jefferson: Liberty (moderate).

  • Religion75 points apart

    Abraham Lincoln: Religious (mild). Thomas Jefferson: Secular (moderate).

  • Authority60 points apart

    Abraham Lincoln: Strong leader (mild). Thomas Jefferson: Democratic (moderate).

★ Where they are closest

  • Morality · 15 apart
  • Ownership · 20 apart
  • Welfare · 30 apart

Axis by axis

Thomas Jefferson

Economy

Equality / Markets
  • OwnershipMild: Private
    PublicPrivate
  • MarketsMild: Planned
    PlannedFree
  • WelfareMild: Self-reliant
    SharedSelf-reliant

State and liberty

Liberty / Authority
  • AuthorityMild: Strong leader
    DemocraticStrong leader
  • SecurityModerate: Order
    LibertyOrder
  • StructureModerate: Central
    LocalCentral

Society

Progress / Tradition
  • MoralityMild: Traditional
    ProgressiveTraditional
  • ReligionMild: Religious
    SecularReligious
  • TechnologyMild: Embrace
    EmbraceCaution
  • CultureNo clear record
    MulticulturalNational identity

World

Global / Nation
  • TradeModerate: Protected
    GlobalProtected
  • Foreign policyNo clear record
    CooperationStrength

Not compared: Culture (no clear record for Abraham Lincoln), Foreign policy (no clear record for Abraham Lincoln). These axes are greyed out above and left out of the match.

★ 12 Axes Political Test ★

Who are you closer to?

Answer plain statements on 12 axes and see your match with Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and every other historical figure, axis by axis.

FAQ

Abraham Lincoln vs Thomas Jefferson

What is the difference between Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson?

They differ most on structure (Abraham Lincoln: central (moderate); Thomas Jefferson: local (moderate)), security (Abraham Lincoln: order (moderate); Thomas Jefferson: liberty (moderate)) and religion (Abraham Lincoln: religious (mild); Thomas Jefferson: secular (moderate)). On the economy Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets; on state and liberty Abraham Lincoln sits further toward authority; on society their positions are close; on the world stage Abraham Lincoln sits further toward nation.

What do Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson have in common?

They are closest on morality, ownership and welfare. Overall their profiles are a 69% match on the 10 axes where both have a clear record.

Who leans more toward free markets, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson?

On the economic axes they share, Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets and Abraham Lincoln further toward equality. Abraham Lincoln reads as markets (mild) overall, Thomas Jefferson as markets (moderate).

Am I closer to Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson?

Take the 12 Axes Political Test. Your result shows your match with both of them, and with every other historical figure and ideology on the site, axis by axis.