PoliticalTests

49 figures mapped

Political Views of Famous Legislators and Ministers

Senators, members of parliament, ministers, governors and party leaders who never led a national government, placed on the same 12 axes as the presidents and prime ministers.

Take the 12 Axes test Filter all figures

Each dot is one figure: economic views across, the mean of the civil and society axes up and down. Hover or tap a dot for the name.

22Economic left
11Near the economic centre
16Economic right

Up and down the compass: 18 on the authority side, 11 near the middle and 20 on the liberty side.

All 49

  1. 1706-1790 · United StatesBenjamin FranklinSigner of the Declaration of IndependenceLib right
  2. 1730-1797 · United KingdomEdmund BurkeMember of Parliament (1765-1794)Auth right
  3. 1737-1809 · United StatesThomas PaineAuthor of Common Sense and Rights of ManLib left
  4. 1753-1821 · FranceJoseph de MaistreSavoyard magistrate and member of the Senate of SavoyAuth right
  5. 1755-1804 · United StatesAlexander Hamilton1st U.S. Secretary of the TreasuryAuth right
  6. 1759-1833 · United KingdomWilliam WilberforceParliamentary leader of the campaign against the slave tradeAuth right
  7. 1763-1838 · BrazilJosé Bonifácio de Andrada e SilvaMinister of the Kingdom and Foreign Affairs (1822-1823)Auth right
  8. 1782-1850 · United StatesJohn C. Calhoun7th Vice President of the United States (1825-1832)Auth right
  9. 1805-1859 · FranceAlexis de TocquevilleAuthor of Democracy in AmericaLib right
  10. 1806-1873 · United KingdomJohn Stuart MillPhilosopher and economistLib left
  11. 1809-1865 · FrancePierre-Joseph ProudhonPolitical theoristLib left
  12. 1839-1897 · United StatesHenry GeorgePolitical economistCentre
  13. 1849-1910 · BrazilJoaquim NabucoAbolitionist leaderLib right
  14. 1849-1923 · BrazilRui BarbosaMinister of Finance (1889-1891)Lib right
  15. 1850-1932 · GermanyEduard BernsteinSocial democratic theoristLib left
  16. 1855-1926 · United StatesEugene V. DebsFounder of the American Railway UnionLib left
  17. 1856-1915 · United KingdomKeir HardieFounder of the Independent Labour Party (1893)Lib left
  18. 1859-1914 · FranceJean JaurèsLeader of the French Socialist Party and co-leader of the SFIOLib left
  19. 1860-1925 · United StatesWilliam Jennings BryanU.S. Representative from Nebraska (1891-1895)Auth left
  20. 1879-1963 · United KingdomWilliam BeveridgeAuthor of the Beveridge Report (1942)Auth left
  21. 1891-1937 · ItalyAntonio GramsciMarxist theoristLib left
  22. 1891-1956 · IndiaB. R. AmbedkarChairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of IndiaLib left
  23. 1893-1935 · United StatesHuey Long40th Governor of Louisiana (1928-1932)Auth left
  24. 1895-1952 · GermanyKurt SchumacherChairman of the SPD (1946-1952)Auth left
  25. 1897-1960 · United KingdomAneurin BevanMinister of Health (1945-1951)Lib left
  26. 1904-1986 · CanadaTommy Douglas7th Premier of Saskatchewan (1944-1961)Lib left
  27. 1909-1998 · United StatesBarry GoldwaterU.S. Senator from Arizona (1953-1965, 1969-1987)Lib right
  28. 1912-1998 · United KingdomEnoch PowellMinister of Health (1960-1963)Auth right
  29. 1913-2010 · United KingdomMichael FootLeader of the Labour Party (1980-1983)Lib left
  30. 1914-1977 · BrazilCarlos LacerdaGovernor of Guanabara (1960-1965)Auth right
  31. 1915-1988 · GermanyFranz Josef StraussMinister-President of Bavaria (1978-1988)Auth right
  32. 1916-1992 · BrazilUlysses GuimarãesPresident of the National Constituent Assembly (1987-1988)Lib left
  33. 1917-2001 · BrazilRoberto CamposMinister of Planning (1964-1967)Lib right
  34. 1918-1994 · United KingdomKeith JosephSecretary of State for Education and Science (1981-1986)Auth right
  35. 1919-1998 · United StatesGeorge Wallace45th Governor of Alabama (four terms: 1963-1967, 1971-1979, 1983-1987)Auth left
  36. 1920-2003 · United KingdomRoy JenkinsHome Secretary (1965-1967, 1974-1976)Lib left
  37. 1922-2004 · BrazilLeonel BrizolaGovernor of Rio Grande do Sul (1959-1963)Lib left
  38. 1922-1987 · CanadaRené Lévesque23rd Premier of Quebec (1976-1985)Lib left
  39. 1925-1968 · United StatesRobert F. Kennedy64th Attorney General of the United States (1961-1964)Lib left
  40. 1925-2014 · United KingdomTony BennSecretary of State for Energy (1975-1979)Lib left
  41. 1927-2017 · FranceSimone VeilPresident of the European Parliament (1979-1982)Lib right
  42. 1928-1967 · ArgentinaChe GuevaraCommander in the Cuban RevolutionAuth left
  43. 1928-2025 · FranceJean-Marie Le PenFounder and President of the Front National (1972-2011)Auth right
  44. Born 1934 · United StatesRalph NaderConsumer advocate and lawyerLib left
  45. Born 1935 · United StatesRon PaulU.S. Representative from Texas (1976-1977, 1979-1985, 1997-2013)Lib right
  46. 1936-2018 · United StatesJohn McCainU.S. Senator from Arizona (1987-2018)Lib right
  47. Born 1938 · United StatesPat BuchananWhite House Communications Director (1985-1987)Auth right
  48. 1942-2023 · GermanyWolfgang SchäubleFederal Minister of Finance (2009-2017)Auth right
  49. 1947-1992 · GermanyPetra KellyCo-founder of the German GreensLib left

★ 12 axes · 4 groups · 3 lengths ★

Who is your historical twin?

Take the 12 Axes test and see where you land next to the 49 figures on this page, and which three are closest to you.

FAQ

Legislators: questions

Who counts as a legislator or politician here?

Anyone who held elected or ministerial office, led a party or ran for national office, without becoming head of state or government. 49 figures qualify; 22 sit on the economic left, 11 near the centre and 16 on the economic right.

How are these positions worked out?

Each person is placed on the 12 axes of the 12 Axes Political Test from their own speeches, writings, votes and record in office, with sources on every profile page. The map shows two of those measures: economic views across, and the mean of the civil and society axes up and down. Axes with no reasonable basis are left blank and do not count.

More categories

All historical figures