What Political Party Am I?
Democrat, Republican or in between? 16 statements on the issues that divide the two big US parties.
- 16 statements
- About 2 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
- 16
- Time
- ~2 min
- Result
- 2 scores
This quiz compares your answers with the positions the two major United States parties usually take. It covers the issues where Democrats and Republicans most often disagree: taxes and spending, healthcare, climate rules, school choice, abortion, marriage, guns and immigration.
You get two scores, one for economic issues and one for social and border issues, and an overall lean. Parties are coalitions and plenty of their own voters disagree with them on something, so a mixed result is common and tells you something useful.
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.
Issue by issue
Where the two parties usually stand
These are broad tendencies drawn from recent party platforms and how each party's lawmakers usually vote. Both parties hold a range of views, and positions shift over time, so treat this as a map of the main divide rather than a rule for every member.
Taxes
- Democrats usually
- Higher taxes on high earners and large companies to fund public programs
- Republicans usually
- Lower income and business taxes, with less public spending
Healthcare
- Democrats usually
- Expand public coverage and government help with costs
- Republicans usually
- Market based insurance, more choice and less federal involvement
Climate and energy
- Democrats usually
- Stricter emission rules and support for clean energy
- Republicans usually
- Fewer rules on energy production, including oil and gas
Schools
- Democrats usually
- Fund public schools, wary of using public money for private ones
- Republicans usually
- School choice, including public funds that follow the student
Abortion
- Democrats usually
- Keep abortion legal in most cases
- Republicans usually
- Restrict abortion, with views ranging from limits to bans
Guns
- Democrats usually
- Stricter gun laws, such as wider background checks
- Republicans usually
- Protect gun ownership rights and resist new restrictions
Immigration
- Democrats usually
- Path to legal status for many immigrants already in the country
- Republicans usually
- Stricter border enforcement and lower immigration
Not in the United States? The 12 Axes Political Test compares your answers with parties in several countries. For the background on why America has two big parties, read the two party system explained.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does this quiz decide which party I am closest to?
Each statement is tied to the economic axis or to the social and border axes of our full tests. Positions the Democratic Party usually takes score toward 0, positions the Republican Party usually takes score toward 100. The overall lean is the average of your economic and social scores.
Is this quiz telling me who to vote for?
No. It compares your views with the usual positions of two parties on a set of issues. Candidates differ from their party, and many people weigh things a quiz cannot measure, such as character, local issues or a single priority.
What if my economic and social scores point different ways?
That is a common result. Market minded voters who are relaxed on social issues often call themselves libertarian, and voters who want more economic support but hold traditional values are found in both parties. Your result notes when your two scores split.
Does the quiz cover third parties?
It measures your distance from the two major parties only. If your scores split sharply, the result says which kind of independent position your mix resembles. For a detailed map of your views, the Political Values Test scores four separate axes.
Is the quiz biased toward one party?
Statements describe policies without naming parties or politicians, and half are worded so that agreeing moves you toward each side. Agreeing with every statement lands you near the middle.
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