The framework
The twelve political axes
Explore each pair, consider a practical question, and see how it fits into your report.
01 / Government
Federal & Unitary
How should power be shared between national and regional governments?
Federal
More authority for regional and local governments.
Unitary
More authority and consistent laws at the national level.
A national education standard or regional curricula?
Federal and unitary concern where authority sits. The representation axis asks how leaders receive and use that authority.
02 / Representation
Democratic & Autocratic
How directly should citizens shape political decisions?
Democratic
Broad participation, voting and public accountability.
Autocratic
Concentrated leadership with less direct public control.
Should major policy changes need public votes or elected scrutiny?
Democratic participation can take direct or representative forms. It is separate from how much power belongs to regional governments.
03 / World outlook
Internationalist & Nationalist
How much weight should cooperation beyond national borders carry?
Internationalist
International cooperation and shared global interests.
Nationalist
National sovereignty and national interests first.
Should countries share responsibility through international institutions?
International cooperation concerns political commitments. Trade openness has its own axis.
04 / Conflict
Militarist & Pacifist
What role should military force have in resolving conflict?
Militarist
Military preparedness and a willingness to use force.
Pacifist
Restraint and peaceful approaches to conflict.
When should a country use military force in a conflict?
Consider the use of force and restraint. A view on national sovereignty alone does not settle this question.
05 / Civil liberties
Security & Freedom
How should collective security and individual liberty be balanced?
Security
Security measures, including limits on some individual freedoms.
Freedom
Individual rights and limits on state surveillance or control.
How far should surveillance powers extend in the name of public safety?
This axis concerns civil freedoms and security powers. Economic regulation is considered separately.
06 / Distribution
Equality & Markets
How should economic outcomes and resources be distributed?
Equality
Reducing economic inequality through collective measures.
Markets
Market allocation and individual economic incentives.
Should taxes and public provision reduce differences in income?
Economic equality concerns distribution. Planning asks how production and economic decisions are coordinated.
07 / Religion
Secular & Religious
What place should religion have in public institutions?
Secular
Public institutions independent of religious authority.
Religious
A greater role for religious values in public life.
Should public laws depend on religious teachings?
The focus is the place of religion in public institutions. Personal belief and public policy can differ.
08 / Social change
Progressive & Traditional
How should society approach changes to its norms?
Progressive
Revising established norms as society changes.
Traditional
Preserving established customs and social institutions.
When established customs conflict with new ways of living, what should change?
Think about social norms and institutions. Views about emerging technology have a separate axis.
09 / Culture
Assimilationist & Multiculturalist
How should different cultures coexist within a society?
Assimilationist
A shared dominant culture and integration into it.
Multiculturalist
Maintaining cultural diversity and distinct traditions.
Should integration prioritize common customs or preserve distinct cultural traditions?
The question is how cultures live together within a society. International alliances are a different topic.
10 / Economic policy
Planned & Laissez-faire
How actively should government direct the economy?
Planned
Collective planning and public direction of economic activity.
Laissez-faire
Private enterprise with less government direction.
Should government actively direct investment and production?
Economic coordination is distinct from the distribution of income. Several combinations of these views are possible.
11 / Trade
Protectionist & Globalist
How open should an economy be to international trade?
Protectionist
Protecting domestic producers and economic self-sufficiency.
Globalist
Cross-border trade and economic integration.
Should tariffs protect domestic producers or should cross-border trade be more open?
This is about economic borders. Cooperation between governments is considered on the world-outlook axis.
12 / Technology
Accelerationist & Bioconservative
How should society approach emerging technologies?
Accelerationist
Rapid development and adoption of transformative technology.
Bioconservative
Caution about technologies that substantially change human life.
How quickly should society adopt technologies that could transform human life?
This axis concerns transformative technology. Everyday technical preferences do not by themselves determine the score.
Put the axes together.
Your report presents each pair side by side, with your scores and the number of non-neutral answers.
Take the political test ↗Read the scoring method