Barack Obama vs Ronald Reagan
Barack Obama
United States- 44th President of the United States (2009-2017)
- U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005-2008)
Illinois senator who became the first African American president, passed the Affordable Care Act and financial reform after the 2008 crisis, and pursued diplomacy with Iran and Cuba.
Full profile of Barack Obama
Ronald Reagan
United States- 40th President of the United States (1981-1989)
- 33rd Governor of California
Republican president who cut income tax rates, pursued deregulation and a defense buildup, and negotiated nuclear arms reductions with the Soviet Union.
Full profile of Ronald ReaganIn short
How they compare
Barack Obama (Born 1961) and Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) are a 68% match on the 12 axes where both have a clear record.
They differ most on morality (Barack Obama: progressive (moderate); Ronald Reagan: traditional (moderate)), welfare (Barack Obama: shared (moderate); Ronald Reagan: self-reliant (moderate)) and foreign policy (Barack Obama: cooperation (mild); Ronald Reagan: strength (moderate)). They are closest on trade, technology and authority.
On the economy Ronald Reagan sits further toward markets; on state and liberty their positions are close; on society Ronald Reagan sits further toward tradition; on the world stage Ronald Reagan 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
- Barack Obamaequality (mild)Ronald Reaganmarkets (moderate)
- State and liberty3 axes
- Barack ObamabalancedRonald Reaganbalanced
- Society4 axes
- Barack Obamaprogress (mild)Ronald Reagantradition (mild)
- World2 axes
- Barack Obamaglobal (moderate)Ronald Reagannation (mild)
- Barack Obama: petals and stars
- Ronald Reagan: dashed outline
★ Where they differ most
- Morality105 points apart
Barack Obama: Progressive (moderate). Ronald Reagan: Traditional (moderate).
- Welfare95 points apart
Barack Obama: Shared (moderate). Ronald Reagan: Self-reliant (moderate).
- Foreign policy90 points apart
Barack Obama: Cooperation (mild). Ronald Reagan: Strength (moderate).
- Markets80 points apart
Barack Obama: Planned (mild). Ronald Reagan: Free (moderate).
★ Where they are closest
- Trade · 10 apart
- Technology · 15 apart
- Culture · 35 apart
Axis by axis
Ronald Reagan
Economy
Equality / Markets- OwnershipMild: Private45%55%PublicPrivate
- MarketsMild: Planned60%40%PlannedFree
- WelfareModerate: Shared73%27%SharedSelf-reliant
State and liberty
Liberty / Authority- AuthorityModerate: Democratic78%22%DemocraticStrong leader
- SecurityMild: Order43%57%LibertyOrder
- StructureModerate: Central30%70%LocalCentral
Society
Progress / Tradition- MoralityModerate: Progressive75%25%ProgressiveTraditional
- ReligionMild: Secular58%42%SecularReligious
- TechnologyMild: Embrace60%40%EmbraceCaution
- CultureModerate: Multicultural70%30%MulticulturalNational identity
World
Global / Nation- TradeModerate: Global73%27%GlobalProtected
- Foreign policyMild: Cooperation65%35%CooperationStrength
★ 12 Axes Political Test ★
Who are you closer to?
Answer plain statements on 12 axes and see your match with Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and every other historical figure, axis by axis.
FAQ
Barack Obama vs Ronald Reagan
What is the difference between Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan?
They differ most on morality (Barack Obama: progressive (moderate); Ronald Reagan: traditional (moderate)), welfare (Barack Obama: shared (moderate); Ronald Reagan: self-reliant (moderate)) and foreign policy (Barack Obama: cooperation (mild); Ronald Reagan: strength (moderate)). On the economy Ronald Reagan sits further toward markets; on state and liberty their positions are close; on society Ronald Reagan sits further toward tradition; on the world stage Ronald Reagan sits further toward nation.
What do Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan have in common?
They are closest on trade, technology and authority. Overall their profiles are a 68% match on the 12 axes where both have a clear record.
Who leans more toward free markets, Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan?
On the economic axes they share, Ronald Reagan sits further toward markets and Barack Obama further toward equality. Barack Obama reads as equality (mild) overall, Ronald Reagan as markets (moderate).
Am I closer to Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan?
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.