The US Political Party Quiz
September 10th, 2012 at 1:00 pm by David FarrarPew Research has a 12 question quiz on where you fit in the US political spectrum. My results were:
- Overall a moderate republican
- On economic issues, slightly to the right of the Tea Party
- On social issues, slightly to the left of a liberal Democrat
What is interesting is that on economic issues, there is only a minor variation by age. But on social issues there is a massive difference between the average under 30 and over 65.
By race, there is little difference on social issues, but a big difference on economic issues.
Feel free to state in comments where you were placed overall, and on economic and social issues.
Related posts:
- The TAPAS US political trivial quiz
- Australian Political Quiz
- A NZ political quiz
- Political Spectrum Quiz
September 10th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I said it before DPF: in the USA you would make a proud Blue Dog Democrat.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Kind of a pointless way of presenting the data, given that it is a spectrum which only has Democrats and Republicans on it. The two axis graph on the Political Compass makes a lot more sense. This one seems to fall into the same trap that always hampers political expression in America, it has to be reduced to red team or blue team.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Or in NZ, a proud Labourite.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
On economic issues: slightly to the right of Moderate Democrat.
On social issues: a smidgen from Very Liberal.
Overall: just to the right of Liberal Democrat.
Apart from God and gay marriage all my responses were moderately one way or the other.
But I’m very dubious, the quiz only had a few US orientated questions with limited response options. It probably works ok for people who lean one way or the other on most things, but it’s more of a lottery for people like me who try to judge each issue on it’s merits and might have quite varying views across the spectrum.
It would be good to have a New Zealand version that covered a few more issues (similar to the Political Compass where I am closer to the centre).
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Griff is the same as DPF a raving liberal capitalist
Just goes to show the opportunitys for representation in the MMP system as opposed to the politics of a two party state
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
Alex your libertarian quadrant is just the biggest amount of bullshit out there with all of the questions asked from a liberal/ progressive mindset and therefore the outcome is predetermined and completely worthless.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I got overall liberal democrat, economically a traditional democrat, socially all the way to the left as a very liberal democrat. That sounds right to me at the current election because I will definitely vote for Obama (I’m a US citizen so I can and do vote there). However the quiz misses out on quite a few major issues. I’m pro-death penalty, very pro-gun and in favour of US military interventionism to stop genocides. None of those positions would be held by a true liberal in the US.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Overall: right of the Tea Party Republicans
Economic: Pretty much all the way right
Social: Pretty much all the way left
So this skews the results in favour of the Economic factors – otherwise I’d be more central than I am.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
bed wetter
Vote:So you do not agree with liberals that makes you a conservative. How does that make the liberal conservative axis worthless? You will not recognise that many on the right do not agree with your agenda of social control and do not desire a socialist government rrm is right you are so far to the right you have become a lefty control freak
September 10th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Overall: right of the tea party
Vote:Economic: far right of the tea party (dont tell red)
Social: slightly to the left
September 10th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I would have thought Pew could have drafted less problematic language. For example:
The government should help more needy people even if it means going deeper in debt.
How should I answer this if I want the government to raise taxes to pay for it?
And does this refer to a greater number of needy people, or people who are more needy (i.e. a smaller subset of needy people)
I never doubt the existence of God.
Vote:I can see how one could completely agree with this, but anyone who occasionally has any doubts should be saying completely disagree. Belief in God can be measured on a continuum, but not this one!
September 10th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Economic: Smack in the sensible sensible middle of the road.
Social: Almost as far left as their puny American minds can fathom.
Overall: Apparently I’m just a typical Democrat.
And they wonder why a system where the population of an entire continent have to generalise themselves into either a RED team or a BLUE team leads to a situation where no-one’s ever happy with anything the gubermint comes up with…
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
RRM – nothing sensible about being in the middle of the road! man up! come to the right
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
This one also depends on what you think ‘God’ is, and what you think other people think ‘God’ is. I disagreed with this but could (and maybe should) have agreed unless I simply presume (as I did) one interpretation of what ‘God” is.
I never doubt the existence of God in some people’s minds.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
RRM, you didn’t need to take the test. We all know you’re a lefty.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Pete George:
Did you overlook that this is a quiz about political parties in the USA?
There can be no doubt which God we’re talking about here! This is the white, literally-interpreted, Judeo-Christian one who made the heavens and the earth with his own (white) hands, and lately sits upon his throne up there on the clouds, for ever and ever, Amen.
The only possible room for interpretation here is concerning the actual length of the beard framing his (white) face as he sits munificently upon his throne in the clouds… Johannes Brahms, or ZZ Topp?
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Over-all: Liberal Democrat.
Economically: Moderate Democrat.
Socially: Very Liberal Democrat.
A fair summation!
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Pete – your 1:57 post was just garbage. that is all
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I think the degree to which the quiz is uninformative would be made clear by the same people participating in a test where they’re asked, “How much of a Democrat or a Republican are you on this scale?” Probably wouldn’t be much difference in results at all.
Like Graeme said, the questions are ambiguous unless they’re seen as barely veiled inquiries as to one’s party allegiance. For example…
“Poor people have become too dependent on government assistance programs.”
I strongly agree, but I bet most people who answer “strongly agree” think that government-assistance programs are the cause of this and should be cut, while I “strongly agree” because the style of capitalism in the US ensures the existence of the working and unworking poor. Same answer, very different values/attitudes.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry legally
Not the issue, is it? It’s how you define what marriage is.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
I’m overall, an average republican.
Vote:Economic: between moderate and average republican.
Social issues: very conservative – what a surprise!
September 10th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
I was bit surprised how far left I was on social issues, I was way out to the left. On economic issues I was to the right of moderate Republicans and overall I was just to the left of centre.
I think well intentioned folk all want the same things, but differ in opinion on how to get there. Its that lack of good intent, and the undeclared motives, that I dislike about the left.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
At least I’m consistent – to the right of the Tea Party in all three areas.
But the questions are way too simplistic and can’t give a true representation.
I agree that I’m a genuine conservative – not a pretending one like DPF and others on this blog – but there are some social issues where I do not conform to very right wing thought.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
I’m a young, black, irrelligious women.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 5:50 pm
Perfectly correct.
As I said above, the questions in these so called “quizzes” are all framed by brain damaged liberals who (like the odious Grief for one good example) don’t have a clue how Conservatives think or even what they believe.
They completely fail to know what it is that drives “the other side” and are mostly full of shallow liberal perceptions that are laughable in their rabid inaccuracy.
Therefore the quizzes are worthless.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Well done master baiter
Vote:A post that has the word liberal not the normal lefty (insert An exclamation or oath, especially one that is profane, vulgar, or obscene). that you usually post. Are you learning that many on the right are liberal capitalists as is our esteemed host.?
Would you know like to full in the story with actual details so that we can understand the ineffable mind of the conservative true blue
September 10th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Near tea party on economic issues (I think I agreed that some business regulation has positive effects), far left on social issues. Average in the middle. About what I expected.
Interesting was how little variation there was once you looked into gender, age etc. They very much clustered around the middle – telling me there’s more variation between people within the group than there is between the groups (i.e. what group you are in is a poor predictor of your beliefs for most of the groups)
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Average republican. I was the same as DPF when it comes to social and economic issues.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
On social issues I’m voting Obama, on economic Romney.
Just as well I don’t get to vote in the US election
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
mavxp The Republicans are lucky poms do not get the opportunity to vote after Romney dissed Britain.
Lucia Maria do you believe gay marriage and abortion are too important to be left for a democracy to decide on ?
Oh, moderate Democrat.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I scored very liberal overall.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Economically I was a raging right wing nut job. Socially I was a loonie liberal.
Probably why I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Obama or Romney. Ron Paul
Vote:20122016September 10th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Grumpy,
I wouldn’t put it like that. Instead, I believe that there are eternal truths that when lived by a majority of the population will translate to good laws rather than bad ones.
Vote:September 11th, 2012 at 1:32 am
Grumpy, Lucia believes that god makes those choices for us. She’s as moderate as Stalin was towards the Cossacks.
Vote:September 11th, 2012 at 8:13 am
I fell off the chart, on the right.
Liberal Minded Kiwi, you believe that truth is not eternal? That Hitler is just as good or evil as Churchill? That the difference is only one of perspective? Because that’s what you are saying if you deny “there are eternal truths that when lived by a majority of the population will translate to good laws rather than bad ones.”
I’m sure you don’t deny that. So you think certain truths are self-evident, or above changing, or not?
Vote: