NationStates Jolt Archive

This (http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html) may be old news but I just stummbled upon it for the first time. According to this, and I agree, I'm Libertarian!!!

ACCORDING TO YOUR ANSWERS,

The political description that
fits you best is...

.

LIBERAL


LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal

matters, but tend to support significant government control of the

economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net"
to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation

of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations,

defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action

to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles

Your PERSONAL issues Score is 100%.
Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 20%

That one's loaded.

This test is shit.

Wow, what a terrible test.

Okay, what makes the test terrible? The fact you don't come out with the label that you'd prefer?

Yeah, I don't like the World's Smallest Political Quiz, either, for, as you might have guessed, I believe it's too small to answer a number of issues.

Okay, what makes the test terrible?


There are only 10 questions..
...in only two categories.
All of the questions are worded according to "libertarian" rhetoric.
All of the questions are worded in such a way as to assume that right-libertarianism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-libertarianism) constitutes all of "libertarian" political ideology, completely ignoring the existance of left-libertarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism)/traditional anarchist (anti-capitalist) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism) ideology (For instance, mention the phrase "free-market anti-capitalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mutualism_(economic_theory))" to the demographic targeted by this quiz, and note the reaction. :) ).


All of these factors contribute to force an upward bias/trend in results toward capitalist libertarianism. This is not surprising at all, considering that the quiz in question is intended to be nothing more than a evangelist's tool for use by a specific political party (http://www.lp.org/issues/libertarian.shtml) (<--- note the link at the bottom).

I'm a libertarian, and I think that's the single most biased, skewed popular political orientation quiz on the Internet.

I'm also Libertarian according to this (http://www.politicalcompass.org/questionnaire.php) and this (http://www.quizilla.com/users/SpellJammer/quizzes/The%20American%20Political%20Party%20Quiz./)!

So, three quizzes, same result, I guess it's safe to assume that I'm a libertarian!!!

I'm also Libertarian according to this (http://www.politicalcompass.org/questionnaire.php) and this (http://www.quizilla.com/users/SpellJammer/quizzes/The%20American%20Political%20Party%20Quiz./)!

So, three quizzes, same result, I guess it's safe to assume that I'm a libertarian!!!

You really should have figured your ideologies out by yourself by now with out having to be told by some test.

The political description that
fits you best is...

.

STATIST

STATISTS want government to have a great deal of power

over the economy and individual behavior. They frequently

doubt whether economic liberty and individual freedom

are practical options in today's world. Statists tend to distrust

the free market, support high taxes and centralized

planning of the economy, oppose diverse lifestyles,

and question the importance of civil liberties.



What a load of crap. That test is too short to be accurate.

I'm also Libertarian according to this (http://www.politicalcompass.org/questionnaire.php) and this (http://www.quizilla.com/users/SpellJammer/quizzes/The%20American%20Political%20Party%20Quiz./)!

So, three quizzes, same result, I guess it's safe to assume that I'm a libertarian!!!


That What about border control? question was baised. That quizilla test said I was republican....I take offense to that!

You really should have figured your ideologies out by yourself by now with out having to be told by some test.

There just has to be one clown at every circus, eh? So what are you saying, no one else who took these quizzes knew what their ideologies were before they took them? Everyone who took these quizzes did so because they were lost in the political spectrum and needed an internet quiz to help them find their way back to the light? I bet you just offended lots of intelligent people because I know a bunch of NationStates members have their politicalcompass.org results in their siggie! Think before leaving an offensive post!

Ideologies are all ridiculous, just like this quiz.

Well, this would likely be somewhat close to my ideaology, but I'm less of a centrist and more of a statist. They got my spot on the right/left scale pretty much correct though.

This (http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html) may be old news but I just stummbled upon it for the first time. According to this, and I agree, I'm Libertarian!!!

Yes, it's very old news. It's also highly biased, and is set up to give most people a "libertarian" outcome.

What a load of crap. That test is too short to be accurate.
Great length is not necessary. I can figure out your political orientation in one question. Is the United States great because of government, or in spite of it?

The 10 question quiz is accurate, if you answer it truthfully. I've watched any number of people come out as centrists and liberals. It doesn't force you into a libertarian position, unless you let it.

Great length is not necessary. I can figure out your political orientation in one question. Is the United States great because of government, or in spite of it?

The 10 question quiz is accurate, if you answer it truthfully. I've watched any number of people come out as centrists and liberals. It doesn't force you into a libertarian position, unless you let it.

Nope. This critique is well done:
http://world.std.com/~mhuben/rupright.html

Okay, what makes the test terrible? The fact you don't come out with the label that you'd prefer?
The fact that the questions are leading. Rather than 'should X happen?' the majority of questions are of the form 'X should/shouldn't happen'. Psychological studies show people are likely to agree with such as statement when they would have given a neutral answer to a neutral form of the questions.

Nope. This critique is well done:
http://world.std.com/~mhuben/rupright.html
I don't entirely disagree, but it does certainly allow an honest and intelligent person to answer no or maybe. As far as Mr Huben's and Mr Rupright's analysis go, they're also just saying something you want to hear. Neither of them have any particular skills in polling, while real, honest-to-goodness polling companies, companies that are paid for correct answers, have used the quiz. Portrait of America (http://www.theadvocates.org/library/poll-results.html) did use the quiz, reworded it slightly and recorded these results.

Would I bet an election on the quiz -- no. Would I pay attention to the results? If I were a smart politician, I would.

Well it worked perfectly for me:

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice.
Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

Well it worked perfectly for me:

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice.
Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.
Sure. But a lot of the people that frequent this forum are more concerned with form over substance. Plus, they have a difficult time being completely honest with themselves. If they were given this quiz out of the blue, as was done in the Portrait survey, they would undoubtedly be a lot more objective.

The 10 question quiz is accurate, if you answer it truthfully.


I took the quiz and recieved the following results:

Your PERSONAL issues Score is 100%.
Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 100%.

Thus the quiz indicates that I am a perfect "libertarian."

However, note my Political Compass scores in my signature below. Again, the simple fact of the matter is that the "World's Smallest Political Quiz" draws absolutely no distinction between right- or left-libertarianism (mainly because it does not even recognize the existence of left-libertarian ideologies). Of course, both the American Libertarian Party and the "Advocates for Self-Government" assume a right-libertarian ideological stance. Thus their favorite evangelism tool does not even try to draw the necessary distinction.

In short, the American Libertarian Party and the "Advocates for Self-Government" would point to my score above and declare that I am a perfect match for the American Libertarian Party's platform. My Political Compass scores, however, indicate that this is not the case. In fact, I would not be surprised if a large part of the population scoring "libertarian" on the "World's Smallest Political Quiz" would consider me to be somekind of socialist, communist, hippy liberal, or some similar manifestation of pure, unadulterated, unmitigated evil. ( :rolleyes: )

Seeing as how the Political Compass successfully draws a complete distinction between left/right or libertarian/authoritarian ideologies, chiefly by not purposefully bottlenecking the "best" score into a predetermined ideological slot, its model is more sound.

The "World's Smallest Political Quiz," clearly partisan propaganda, is not sound at all. The fact that it cannot draw a distinction between two very different sets of ideological positions proves this absolutely. (Whether the American Libertarian Party or the "Advocates for Self-Government" believe in the viability or truth of the ignored ideologies is completely irrevelant; the ideologies exist, and are believed by some people. As such, if their model fails to objectively reflect said fact, it is broken.)

I took the quiz and recieved the following results:

Your PERSONAL issues Score is 100%.
Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 100%.

Thus the quiz indicates that I am a perfect "libertarian."


In short, the American Libertarian Party and the "Advocates for Self-Government" would point to my score above and declare that I am a perfect match for the American Libertarian Party's platform. My Political Compass scores, however, indicate that this is not the case. In fact, I would not be surprised if a large part of the population scoring "libertarian" on the "World's Smallest Political Quiz" would consider me to be somekind of socialist, communist, hippy liberal, or some similar manifestation of pure, unadulterated, unmitigated evil. ( :rolleyes: )

You, too, seem to be more concerned with a label than with reality. If you answered the 10 questions truthfully, you could not have socialist or communist leanings and still score 100 percent libertarian. Check out the link to Portrait of America in one of my other posts to see how a polling firm presented and scored the quiz.

your own

Just like the Political Compass...

The political description that fits you best is... CENTRIST

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

Your PERSONAL issues Score is 60%.
Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 50%.

You, too, seem to be more concerned with a label than with reality. If you answered the 10 questions truthfully, you could not have socialist or communist leanings and still score 100 percent libertarian. His point is that libertarianism isn't exclusively a right-wing ideology, and therefore by those terms it's entirely possible to be both libertarian and communist, which the test doesn't recognize. (It also doesn't recognize left-wing anarchism either.)

His point is that libertarianism isn't exclusively a right-wing ideology, and therefore by those terms it's entirely possible to be both libertarian and communist, which the test doesn't recognize. (It also doesn't recognize left-wing anarchism either.)
When you apply the Readers Digest Condensed definition of libertarianism that I use, it's not possible to be both libertarian and communist. Nor is it possible to be libertarian and anarchist, either.

The definition that I like to use when I need a short and succinct bullet is this: Limited Government and Personal Responsibility. I don't see where Communism or Anarchy can fit.

But guys, go ahead and take the quiz that gives you the answer you want to see. I end up in the same category, no matter how I evaluate myself.

When you apply the Readers Digest Condensed definition of libertarianism that I use, it's not possible to be both libertarian and communist. But that's the problem, that condensing the definition doesn't always give all of the possible forms of that definition, and it doesn't in this case.

Nor is it possible to be libertarian and anarchist, either.Oh, those are two different ideologies, and the test doesn't recognize the left-wing versions of either.

The definition that I like to use when I need a short and succinct bullet is this: Limited Government and Personal Responsibility. I don't see where Communism or Anarchy can fit.Your definition is fine - for right-wing libertarianism.

But guys, go ahead and take the quiz that gives you the answer you want to see. I end up in the same category, no matter how I evaluate myself.I have a feeling that the test-takers who are more moderate would have different results for different tests, depending on the wording of those tests.

You, too, seem to be more concerned with a label than with reality.


I'm concerned with finding a qualitative and/or quantitative model of human political ideology and related behavior that objectively describes said ideologies and their relationship to each other.


If you answered the 10 questions truthfully, you could not have socialist or communist leanings and still score 100 percent libertarian.


Only when "libertarian," "socialist," and "communist" (and "anarchist") are defined in a very specific (i.e. according to one particular political ideology) way. For instance, examine the Frenchman Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon). He refered to himself as an "anarchist" and a "socialist," and was refered to by others as a socialist. He is also considered the father of Mutualism (free-market anti-capitalism) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mutualism_(economic_theory)). A very famous quote by Mr. Proudhon:


To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be place[d] under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality. (P.-J. Proudhon, General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century, translated by John Beverly Robinson (London: Freedom Press, 1923), pp. 293-294.)

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon )

another:


[Anarchy is] a form of government or constitution in which public and private consciousness, formed through the development of science and law, is alone sufficient to maintain order and guarantee all liberties. In it, as a consequence, the institutions of the police, preventive and repressive methods, officialdom, taxation, etc., are reduced to a minimum. In it, more especially, the forms of monarchy and intensive centralization disappear, to be replaced by federal institutions and a pattern of life based on the commune

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism#Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon )

Having researched Mr. Proudhon and his ideologies, I have absolutely no doubt that he would have scored 100%/100% perfect libertarian on the "World's Smallest Political Quiz." His rejection of capitalism, however, hardly makes him a good match for either the American Libertarian Party or "Advocates for Self-Government." Clearly, however, the man was no friend on government.

And at any rate, your statement that "you could not have socialist or communist leanings and still score 100 percent libertarian" only proves my point exactly. What you believe is completely and entirely irrevelant to any attempt to objectively map or analyze the spectrum of political ideologies. Regardless of the truth of left-libertarian/anarchist ideologies, people have held them, continue to hold them, and as such said ideologies continue to influence the operations of human politics, at least at the individual level. As such, any model that attempts to map the range of political ideologies actually held must be able to include them. Whether you think they are viable is not the issue being discussed here.


Check out the link to Portrait of America in one of my other posts to see how a polling firm presented and scored the quiz.

Irrevelant, for the reasons discussed above.

The definition that I like to use when I need a short and succinct bullet is this: Limited Government and Personal Responsibility.


A socialist who agrees with you ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon