Political Typology Quiz
Three scores, eight corners and a middle ground. Find which of nine political types fits you.
- 18 statements
- About 3 min
- Free, no signup
People with very high incomes should pay a much larger share of their income in taxes.
How much do you agree?
About this quiz
How it works
- Statements
- 18
- Time
- ~3 min
- Result
- 9 types
A political typology sorts people into groups by the combination of views they hold, instead of placing them on one line. Two people who both call themselves moderate can disagree on almost everything, and a typology is built to show that.
This typology is our own. It uses three of the axes behind our full tests: economic equality versus free markets, personal liberty versus state authority, and social progress versus tradition. Each axis splits in two, which gives eight types, plus a ninth for people whose answers sit near the middle on all three.
Every statement comes from the same bank as our full tests and is scored the same way, so your quiz result points in the same direction as the Political Compass Test. Read the full methodology.
The nine types
Eight corners and a middle
Each type is a combination of three answers: equality or markets on the economy, liberty or authority on personal life, and progress or tradition on social change. None is better than another, and most people sit closer to the middle of their corner than to its edge.
- EqualityLibertyProgress
Open Egalitarian
You want wealth shared more evenly, wide personal freedom and a society that keeps changing.
Related: progressivism, libertarian socialism, green politics
- EqualityAuthorityProgress
Reform Planner
You favor public action on the economy and are willing to use firm rules to push social progress.
Related: democratic socialism, state socialism, technocracy
- EqualityLibertyTradition
Grassroots Traditionalist
You want a fairer economy and distrust concentrated power, while valuing faith, family and local custom.
Related: distributism, communitarianism, agrarianism
- EqualityAuthorityTradition
Protective Communitarian
You want the state to protect workers, families and public order, and to keep long-standing customs.
Related: left populism, christian democracy, communitarianism
- MarketsLibertyProgress
Open Market Individualist
You trust markets and individual choice in both economic and personal life, and welcome social change.
Related: libertarianism, classical liberalism, anarcho-capitalism
- MarketsAuthorityProgress
Orderly Modernizer
You back markets and strong institutions, and see order and expertise as the route to progress.
Related: neoliberalism, technocracy, third way
- MarketsLibertyTradition
Small State Traditionalist
You want low taxes and limited government, and look to family, faith and custom to hold society together.
Related: paleoconservatism, fiscal conservatism, liberal conservatism
- MarketsAuthorityTradition
Ordered Traditionalist
You favor free enterprise, firm law and order, and keeping traditional values at the center of public life.
Related: conservatism, national conservatism, social conservatism
- Near the middle on all three
Balanced Pragmatist
Your answers sit near the middle on all three axes, so you judge most issues case by case.
Related: centrism, radical centrism, third way
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a political typology quiz?
A political typology quiz sorts you into a group based on the combination of your views, rather than a single left to right score. This one combines three scores, on the economy, the role of the state in personal life and social change, into one of nine types.
Is this the Pew Research Center typology?
No. The Pew Research Center publishes its own well known typology of American adults, built from national survey data. This quiz is an independent typology built on our own axes and statements, with its own type names, and it works for people in any country.
How are the nine types decided?
Each of the three scores runs from 0 to 100. Below 50 puts you on one side of an axis and above 50 on the other, which gives eight combinations. If all three scores are within 10 points of 50, you get the ninth type, the Balanced Pragmatist.
What does the fit score mean?
It shows how far your three scores sit from the middle, from 0 to 100. A low number means at least one of your scores was close to even, so a neighboring type may describe you almost as well.
How is this different from the Political Compass Test?
The compass places you on a two axis map. The typology keeps personal liberty and social tradition apart, so it can tell a small state traditionalist from a law and order traditionalist, which a two axis map can put in the same place.
Are my answers saved?
Your scores are saved anonymously for statistics. Individual answers are kept only if you tick the optional research box before seeing your result. No account or email is needed.
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