Thomas Jefferson vs Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
United 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
Thomas Paine
United States- Author of Common Sense and Rights of Man
- Member of the French National Convention
English-born pamphleteer whose Common Sense urged American independence and whose Rights of Man and Agrarian Justice argued for democratic republics, an end to hereditary rule and tax-funded social provision.
Full profile of Thomas PaineIn short
How they compare
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Thomas Paine (1737-1809) are a 74% match on the 11 axes where both have a clear record.
They differ most on welfare (Thomas Jefferson: self-reliant (moderate); Thomas Paine: shared (moderate)), culture (Thomas Jefferson: national identity (mild); Thomas Paine: multicultural (moderate)) and structure (Thomas Jefferson: local (moderate); Thomas Paine: central (mild)). They are closest on markets, security and religion.
On the economy Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets; on state and liberty Thomas Paine sits further toward authority; on society Thomas Jefferson sits further toward tradition; on the world stage Thomas Jefferson 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
- Thomas Jeffersonmarkets (moderate)Thomas Painebalanced
- State and liberty3 axes
- Thomas Jeffersonliberty (moderate)Thomas Paineliberty (moderate)
- Society3 axes
- Thomas JeffersonbalancedThomas Paineprogress (moderate)
- World2 axes
- Thomas JeffersonbalancedThomas Paineglobal (moderate)
- Thomas Jefferson: petals and stars
- Thomas Paine: dashed outline
★ Where they differ most
- Welfare95 points apart
Thomas Jefferson: Self-reliant (moderate). Thomas Paine: Shared (moderate).
- Culture75 points apart
Thomas Jefferson: National identity (mild). Thomas Paine: Multicultural (moderate).
- Structure70 points apart
Thomas Jefferson: Local (moderate). Thomas Paine: Central (mild).
- Morality65 points apart
Thomas Jefferson: Traditional (moderate). Thomas Paine: Progressive (mild).
★ Where they are closest
- Religion · 10 apart
- Security · 10 apart
- Markets · 10 apart
Axis by axis
Thomas Paine
Economy
Equality / Markets- OwnershipModerate: Private25%75%PublicPrivate
- MarketsMild: Free35%65%PlannedFree
- WelfareModerate: Self-reliant28%72%SharedSelf-reliant
State and liberty
Liberty / Authority- AuthorityModerate: Democratic75%25%DemocraticStrong leader
- SecurityModerate: Liberty70%30%LibertyOrder
- StructureModerate: Local80%20%LocalCentral
Society
Progress / Tradition- MoralityModerate: Traditional33%67%ProgressiveTraditional
- ReligionModerate: Secular78%22%SecularReligious
- TechnologyNo clear recordEmbraceCaution
- CultureMild: National identity35%65%MulticulturalNational identity
World
Global / Nation- TradeMild: Global55%45%GlobalProtected
- Foreign policyMild: Strength43%57%CooperationStrength
Not compared: Technology (no clear record for Thomas Paine). 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 Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and every other historical figure, axis by axis.
FAQ
Thomas Jefferson vs Thomas Paine
What is the difference between Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine?
They differ most on welfare (Thomas Jefferson: self-reliant (moderate); Thomas Paine: shared (moderate)), culture (Thomas Jefferson: national identity (mild); Thomas Paine: multicultural (moderate)) and structure (Thomas Jefferson: local (moderate); Thomas Paine: central (mild)). On the economy Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets; on state and liberty Thomas Paine sits further toward authority; on society Thomas Jefferson sits further toward tradition; on the world stage Thomas Jefferson sits further toward nation.
What do Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine have in common?
They are closest on markets, security and religion. Overall their profiles are a 74% match on the 11 axes where both have a clear record.
Who leans more toward free markets, Thomas Jefferson or Thomas Paine?
On the economic axes they share, Thomas Jefferson sits further toward markets and Thomas Paine further toward equality. Thomas Jefferson reads as markets (moderate) overall, Thomas Paine as balanced.
Am I closer to Thomas Jefferson or Thomas Paine?
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.