Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Where do you stand ideologically?

Go to this website to take the ideology test (click on the "Take the test" link on the left).  When you finish, answer the following questions and post in the comments section:
1.  Did you get the answer you expected?  Why or why not?
2. Did you feel that the test accurately characterized your political ideology? Why or why not?
3. Look at the historical figures you match up with.  Was this a surprise?  Is there anyone that has a seemingly similar ideology that you do not want to be associated with?
4.  Do you think if you took this test in five years the results might be different?  Why or why not?

35 comments:

Katie Thurson said...

I got the answer I expected, more or less. I think I'm conservative on economic issues and and more liberal on social issues. The test showed that I am more leftist than I thought, being closer(on the graph) to Gandhi than to more conservative icons. Tests like these are hard to make and interpret, because dealing with hypothetical situations creates confusion. I was perplexed by some of the economic questions because they dealt with such specific practices. I was surprised I was close(ish) to Gandhi, because I think I'm a very critical person, and while want to help people, believe that sometimes the voice of the people is not the most appropriate choice. I think the test would probably lean more towards the right if I took it in 5 years, as going to college will probably serve as a reality check.

Bryce Gall said...

I consider myself a diehard socialist. I am pro-collectivization of almost everything and I often find money repulsive. Therefore I find no discourse or surprise in being placed heavily on the left side of the economic spectrum. In fact, of the historical figures listed, the only one who had similar economic ratings as me was Stalin — a comparison I’m rather fond of as I think highly of his economic policies. The irony of the situation is that Stalin is also exactly opposite me on the ‘social scale’ — he’s a hardcore authoritarian right-wing statesmen where I find myself sympathizing much more with the individual.
Needless to say, the way I feel socially and economically don’t always mesh in the best of ways. Somehow I have this notion in my mind that everyone should just get together and decide to stop claiming ownership over land, yet I’m painfully aware that the only way collectivization would be a reality is through state legislation. This however contradicts my want for individual autonomy from centralized power — it is as if I am waiting for the day when people will gleefully adopt socialism without any force. It’s highly unrealistic, highly ideal, and for those reasons, highly subject to change. So if you were to approach me in five years, I couldn’t possibly imagine where my political ideology will lie because I am currently at a crossroads. Five years from now I’m hoping a more mature me will have chosen whether socialism and liberty is more important, and this decision may drastically change how I feel on some issues. Or, conversely, I may never choose and instead you may find me five years from now the same walking contradiction I am today.

Alex Datres said...

By being raised in a conservative household yet changing myself based off my own morals that I do not share with my parents, I am not surprised my results came back as a social libertarian. I am a moderate with conservative leanings. This accurately characterizes my political ideology because I tend not to believe in one extreme or the other. I don't want to give all our money to the government but I do recognize their importance seeing as they fund schooling, roads, and other programs. I have sympathy for the people but sometimes we need to just give control to our government. Being matched up so closely with Gandhi surprised me a little because he was so extreme in his beliefs, yet amazing. He believed in treating people fairly and consistently, which I do agree with. Everyone should get the same opportunities as the next person. If I were to take this test in five years I do believe that my results would differ slightly because I will be exposed to new things and realities I did not see before once I get to college. My behavior will mature and so will my thoughts. I don't think they will change that drastically though simply because I believe strongly in the morals I have now and I don't seem them going to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Savannah Mika said...

The answer I got corresponded with what I expected it to be, Libertarian Left. My views have been shaped by my parents and also things that I have heard through others sources that I strongly disagreed with. I think that it was accurate because I see myself tending to be more liberal on social issues especially, but I also think that a main role of the government is to help the people economically, which includes placing some regulations where it is necessary. On the scale Nelson Mandela is near my rating. I think he was a great world leader and he did a lot of great things in South Africa so I am pleased that my views are somewhat in line with his. I think if I take this test in 5 years my views could change slightly on the economic scale only because by then I will be more educated and can form my opinions better. However I do not think that the change would be drastic and my rating on the scale would be in the same general area.

Sharon Bradley said...

Yes I got the answer I expected.
I don’t think the test was accurate because I may have misinterpreted some of the questions.
This was not a surprise, I’m fine with being associated with some of these figures.
Yes, my results will be different because I will be more politically experienced and will not misinterpret any of the questions.

Kortnea Williams said...

I was classified as a Leftist Libertarian. I sort of got the answer I expected. I see myself as mostly a peaceful person. I do feel that they correctly characterized me because I am very concerned with organization. I believe that without organization, nothing goes smoothly, and there is no organization without rules and regulations. They classified me as a less extremist leftist like Gandhi and I do agree with a lot of Gandhi’s views. Gandhi believed in a free India where various communities were ruled independently without harming others and this is completely comprehensible, sensible and fine with me. This was a surprise for me to be compared to Gandhi of all people, I see Gandhi on a higher level of sanity than me. I do have similar beliefs; however, he’s practices them more and they involve his religion so I never thought I’d be compared to Gandhi, but now that I analyze my opinions and his, I can see the similarity. I feel that if I took this test in 5 years, it would definitely change. I’m unsure of how different it would be but I’m sure that with time, I’ll become far more knowledgeable about our government and politics which in time will affect my perspectives.

Kaycee Threatt said...

Honestly, I had no Idea what to expect, but I find no surprise in being considered a liberal leftist. According to the test, I have views similar to Gandhi and the Dalai Lama and I completely agree with this, as they both promoted non-violent activism and acceptance. Some of the questions, though, I didn't quite understand and ended up just choosing an answer. I also feel there should have been a a fifth answer choice if we felt apathetic towards the hypothetical situation. For these reasons the test may not be accurate. If i took this test again in five years I don't think my social views with change much. But I may begin to lean more to the right as economic problems start to effect me more.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

My results came out as being an economic leftist and social authoritarian. My results did come out as what my ideas were, I just never knew how I would classify myself. I like order and social equality so I can understand my results. I can’t say whether the tests prove truly what my political ideology is because I feel that I do not have a full understanding on the government yet and still have much more to open myself up to, to see how I would react in certain situations. I do agree with Milton Friedman’s economic policy (who I was compared to) with free market and the consumers and sellers make the process to prevent government monopoly. I think that my results will be different in 5 years for the mere fact that I will know more about the government and also the government is constantly changing, therefore governmental ideas will change as well.

Unknown said...

The answer that I received was left libertarian. This was the answer I expected, I an very open minded on social issues. My parents are more conservative than I am and i am this way by my own personal morals and standards. Yes, the scale was more or less accurate to my political ideology. The political figure(s) that were closest to my rating was Nelson Mandela and Francios Holland, in which I personally agree more towards Nelson Mandela. He was an incredible leader of South Africa who fought for the rights of the black South Africans. He did a lot once he was elected for president with education and to the bettering of South Africa. I don't think socially my perspective will change however on an economic aspect I might be more aware of reality once I go to college and start paying taxes.

Unknown said...

1.I didn't know what to expect as my answer so it didn't matter either way.
2.Not really, it didn't give me any choice to stay neutral on a subject, and I felt myself randomly choosing between agree or disagree on questions I felt neutral about, which skewed my results somewhat.
3.It matched me up with Gandhi which made me feel happy :) It was kind of a surprise because I felt very strongly on some subjects that I doubt Gandhi would have such strong feelings towards, but i'm just glad I wasn't paired up with Hitler.
4. I don't know, because I feel pretty strongly about my values right now and I hope I don't change my values by being around new peers who value different things. But who knows, I might believe in the opposite of what I believe in now, 5 years can change a lot of things.

Unknown said...

Yes, I did get the answers I expected because I believe there is indeed a role for the government but at the same time the government shouldn't control everything we do in our society. We need the government for schools, the military, to insure clean water/air and to also protect our rights. These are just a few examples. I feel that people who are weak in our society need to be protected and provided assistance and we should not allow companies to extract profits without adhering to their social responsibilities. I don't consider myself an extremist in any political ideologies but rather a moderate just as the spectrum depicted. The closest historical figure I matched up with was Gandhi for he is a very open minded and accepting individual just like myself. If I were to take this test again 5 years from now, I do believe that there would be a possibility that my results would be slightly different. This is because looking into the future, I will have had added experiences in life from which I would make more opinions. Also, I will have had gone through college and exposed to many different backgrounds/beliefs which will probably challenge my current beliefs and broaden my understanding on world issues.

Christie Husbands said...

To a certain extent, I got the answer that I got the answer I expected. I believe that I'm more liberal on economic issues and more conservative in regards to social issues. After taking the test, it showed that I am more leftist on the graph. These types of tests are created on different categories with the possibility of four answer choices, and are mixed with hypothetical situations. It's difficult sometimes, to accurately choose an answer that I either "agree" or "disagree"with. In some instances, I'm indifferent, making the choice of if I agree or disagree that much harder. I matched up with Gandhi according to the test. I personally, greatly admire him and everything he accomplished in his life.However, I was in shock that our ideas were so similar due to how firmly he believed in his purpose. I most definitely think that in 5 years, if I were to take this test again, my results might be a little different. As I get older, I'll be exposed to new environments and probably look at some things from a slightly different perspective. However, I have strong morals and the concepts that I believe in now are unlikely to change.

Kenan Tica said...

Yes, this is the answer that I expected. I got left liberalism; I believe I got this answer because of my views and my parents views. I do not think that this test is accurately characterized because most the questions were too general and some of the questions were hard to interpret. Also you could only agree/disagree, there was no option for “no opinion” or an option if you were in the middle. The historical figure I was matched up with was Gandhi, this was not a surprise because he was a supporter of acceptance and non-violence. If I took this test in 5 years I do not think that my views would change because I grew up with these views and ill think they will stick around

Unknown said...

I got the answer that I expected. I do think I tend to have more liberal views on today's political issues, however I feel that I'm not adaquately informed on some of the more speciic economic issues to form a definite opinon on certain issues. I dop tend to believe that the indiviual is somehwat more important than the state. I feel this test is semi-accurate, however it's hard to take a quiz to determine your whole political ideology. The political figures I'm associate with, I feel very satisfied about. I was much closer to ghandhi than I was to Hitler. I think in 5 years, after I've experienced more of life and have become more educated on certain issues, my views on certain things may change. However, some of my views on certain things are pretty set and stone as they are right now.

Alie Finelli said...

I did not get the answer I expected, Leftist Libertarian, however after reading the 13 tenets of a leftist libertarian I do agree that the test correctly characterized me when it comes to my stance on marriage, the poor, education and the environment. The historical figure that was closest to my ratings was Gandhi. I was pleased to see that because he is such an inspirational figure to so many people around the world and proved that matters could be resolved without conflict and violence. I feel that if I took this test in 5 years my results would slightly change because I would definitely have matured a lot more and been given the experience to see other views on political ideology.

Unknown said...

Yes, I got the answer I thought I would because I’m really big into people’s rights, and equality and think everyone should have the same opportunities. I also believe that the government shouldn't have the right to interfere in our personal lives. No I don’t think that they test accurately characterized my political ideology because some of the questions that were asked were difficult to answer. For instance on some of the questions I was on the fence about, and both agreed and disagreed with them, but I wasn't able to accurately say my opinion on it because of the four choices we were given to choose from. Yes it was a surprise, because I matched almost exactly with Gandhi. I believe we should use peaceful tactics, rather than violent ones, so that make sense as to why I was paired with him and not someone like Hitler. No I don’t think so, because my ideology has changed a lot through high-school, because of my increased maturity. I think that I’m in a pretty stable place right now, and I will continue to think this way for a while, unless something drastic happens in the near future.

Unknown said...

(1B)
I did not get the answer that I was expecting. I thought I would be more toward the middle, in between Libertarian and Authoritarian. However, my result was more Authoritarian lower left, and I guess that is because I feel like certain situations shouldn’t be up to the individual it should be made by government then again vice versa. My answer was pretty close to the center so I can go either way. I don’t know if the test was fully accurate because during the test it asked questions that I would be neutral to, but it forced you to agree or disagree. I looked at were Gandhi was and I was a few spaces above him. And out of all of the people on the grid I would like to be closest to him because he stood up for what was right peacefully and for the people. If I did take this test in the next five years I would probably be the same, but then again I truly do not know what I will think in the next five years. I think that it truly depends on what the government is like and who is head of the government in the next five years.

Unknown said...

For the most part, I got the answer I expected. I was placed as a leftist libertarian. I tend to support that people get the maximum amount of rights, both economically and socially, so this makes sense. However, as with any test I take that is structured like this one, I'm always torn between "agree" and "disagree". Sometimes I wish there was a perfectly in the middle answer that I could select. Since there was not, I was forced to decide between agree and disagree, which probably skewed the results slightly. The closest historical figure to my point on the chart was Gandhi, which, in the grand scheme of political figures, is not too bad. In reality, I know very little about Gandhi's views on politics, so I cannot really say whether or not his views fit with my views. Five years from now I think there is a very likely chance I'll get a slightly different result. As I experience more about the world, I assume that my views will change, and therefore my responses would be different. I;m especially expecting my economic views to change considering my personal experiences with the government's restrictions on the economy are very limited at this point.

Lindsay Kaufman said...

I did receive the answer I expected, but didn't realize how libertarian I was. I think it's because my domestic policy views are liberal. The test accurately described my ideology because I answered questions to the best of my beliefs. I matched with Milton Friedman and this doesn't surprise me because I'm not for making the state bigger and I'm non-socialist. In five years, expect my views to change because of my college experience.

Unknown said...

Abdul Muizz Naeem period 1B. i got the answer that i thought i was going to get. it was authoritarian yet economically i stand for a free market ideal. i grew up in a dictatorship die hard fascist regime of the general Musharraf and the democratic years of the socialists peoples party of Pakistan under Benazir Bhutto. i match up with Mitt Romney and Stalin. two polar opposites people. Stalin in the way of socially governing a society with die hard iron fist rule. but a free economic market for the countries growth. i hate what Stalin did to the Russian people but economically he brought Russia back and made it a world super power in a short amount of time. sometimes the government must do what is necessary for the countries survival ensuring the survival of the future of the citizens. even if it means sacrificing freedoms or people.

Unknown said...

MUIZZ period 1b, and in five years views will change just like the world does nothing stays the same. whats morally wrong today is socially accepted tomorrow.

Unknown said...

(1B)
I did not exactly get the result I expected seeing as that I mostly see myself as conservative. Left Libertarian is not what I would have seen my results as saying. I felt that the test somewhat accurately characterized my political ideology but most of the questions I did not fully understand and limited me in my full capability in answering the questions. I also found myself both somewhat agreeing and disagreeing with a lot of the statements so being unable to choose in between could have affected my results greatly which is the only thing I did not like about the test. Being paired up with Gandhi was shocking because I have never seen myself relating to him in anyway but it is better than matching with Hitler or Stalin so I will take it. Of course I think my results for this test would vary in five years because like anything else time changes things and I feel like my view on not only the government but the world as well will be different.

Amrak said...

The results I received after taking the test are somewhat of what I expected, libertarian. Reason I think this is because I believe that all people should be entitled to their own personal freedom, and even though there ae laws all citizens should follow to maintain a safe governed country, there are some things I don’t believe the government should have control over, rather the people should be granted the right to make those decisions. One of the historical figures that also matched up to my results were Nelson Mandela. From what I have previously learned about him is that he fought for justice and equality before he became the leader of South Africa, and as well endured a lot of consequences that later paid off for the good of his people. He had very good intentions and had a free will of mind when it came to social class and standards, and I agree with many of the decisions he made because he fought for a purpose that was important to individuals. Five years from now I believe some of my answers may change on a political basis because many more changes will come about within those years and I will have a much more broad aspect on things, but when it comes to personal rights such as sex/gender or religion I believe my answers will continue to stay the same because people should be entitled to their own decisions.

Unknown said...

(1B) My answer was somewhat expected, as I tend to be moderate in most all political and economic policies. With the economy, I believe in a free market; however, there needs to be safety nets and a basic economic equality among everyone in the nation, which is why I came out a little Collectivist. I’m also very moderate politically, which explains the little movement of the response vertically on the graph. This was equivalent to my political ideology, due to a previous test I took that answered my party stance in regards to Democratic or Republican. I tend to be in the middle when it comes to parties and policies, and the answer put me just over and to the left of the middle of everything, which is what I anticipated. Most policies don’t provide me much room to think a certain way and stick to one side, hence my more moderate stance. There is no surprise with close figures, as there are none within the general area of my response dot. The closest person to me is Mahmoud Abbas, with whom I am not that familiar with. Out of the ones listed I know, I am aware that my stance is vastly different from theirs, which the graph suggests in its drawing. Thus, there is no figure with a close position to me that I do not wish to be associated with. If I took this test five years later, I feel that my answers would not be changed, as most of my responses come from how I morally feel about the situation, rather than how I think it affects to nation as a whole politically, economically, or socially. Due to this, the results are unlikely to change. However, general policy and concepts about political parties may change; therefore, my results may be different in regards to the standards being altered.

Unknown said...

1) No, i did not get the answer i expected. I expected to be on the right side of the scale. I am classified as a leftist authoritarian.

2) In some ways i do feel like it correctly characterized my views but in other ways i do not. I feel like im more on the right side of the scale and that i believe more in individual rights. These questions were hard to interpret at times and others i feel like should have the no opinion option.

3)Again, i was shocked at my results so yes these figures were a surprise to me.

4) yes i do because i will be more politically socialized and i will know more about the government and its relation to my views.

Unknown said...

I am slightly surprised by what I got, in all honesty, because I was raised in a conservative household, but the results I got were slightly on the other side. However, I do believe that authority and tradition should be obeyed, which my results support. Where the test placed me on the graph was no where near any historical figure; the closet being Gandhi, but even he was relatively far away from my placement. I am surprised that Gandhi is the only person where I am even slightly nearby, because his beliefs were so extreme and I don't believe that I am anywhere near as extreme. I believe the test accurately characterized my political ideology, to a certain extent, because while I answered the questions to the best of my ability, some were a little confusing and others I had no specific opinion on. In five years from now, I think that my results will be different, because by that time I should be better educated on political policies and have more of an opinion regarding those issues. I honestly hope that by the time I am out of college, that I don't have the same political persepective as 17-year-old me does.

Anonymous said...

For the most part, I received the answer that I thought I was going to get. I consider myself to be more open on social issues and evenly keeled on economic issues. I think the test got a gist of my political ideology, but not the whole aspect. I felt like some of the questions were worded to generate a certain answer. It was shocking that I for the most part matched up with Gandhi. Out of the other historical figures they mentioned, I couldn't see myself matching up with them. I definitely believe my results would be different. Some of the topics mentioned in the test I couldn't really relate to. Maybe I would be a better participant in 5 years.

Unknown said...

The answer I got when taking the test was not what I expected for my-self. I was on the left side of the graph but yet more towards the bottom half of the left side of the authoritative side of the graph. I was in between Alexis Tsipras and François Hollande. After doing some minor research I found that both are in the Socialist party. During the test I was confused by some of the scenarios prosed because they addressed specific groups and political parties. I was shocked when I found myself to between Alexis Tsipras and François Hollande, because I do not believe in the Socialist parties policies. If I took the test 5 years from now, I would probably move down towards Gandhi or towards the upper right side.

Nia St.Clair said...

I honestly did not know what to expect when I took the test but the results did not really surprise me. The test classified me as a Leftist Libertarian which describes my views more or less seeing as there are a few questions that I am sure i misinterpreted. I matched up with Gandhi which is not surprising seeing as he promoted non-violence and acceptance. I am not sure about whether or not the results would change in five years. I will most likely know more about the government then which could alter the results. But, there are some views that I have now that I do not believe will be altered in the future.

Katoria.Alicia said...

I did not get the answer I expected because I think I didn't think I would be left-liberalism. I think the test did not characterize my political ideology to a certain degree. Being that I come from a household with parents that are some what conservative, which I love them for my conservative background, yet some situations and different things going on in today's society that they note "immortal" I may not campaign for but I don't campaign against it either. To be matched up with Gandhi was a little surprising, for the simple fact of him being so stern on peace and his different beliefs I feel don't really match up with my personal beliefs. In the future I do think taking this test would have a different affect because I am still young and my ideas and beliefs will be different, likewise 5 years ago to now my opinions and ideas have altered.

Chrissy said...

I was classified as a Leftist Libertarian. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure of what to expect because being raised in a Democratic household, I've been influenced by what my family believes in and their values, but at the same time, I'm still figuring out what I believe in as an individual, and whether or not I'm more conservative or liberal on some issues. I was not expecting the answer that I got because I'm still growing as a person and forming my opinions about our government and the different aspects that shape and define as liberals or conservatives. I do not feel like this political ideology test accurately represented my ideology because I feel like some of the statements have a wording effect, and I misinterpreted some of them, and felt that they were misconstrued. However, I was not surprised at who I was matched with, which was Ghandi because I see myself as a peaceful person and I'm advocate for non-violence and freedom, like Ghandi was. I do feel like if I took this same test five years later, I do feel like some of my answers would change, considering the fact that I will be an adult by that time and I will have formed my opinions about the government, what I believe in, and what I absolutely disagree with and whether or not I associate myself as a leftist or rightist. Christina Adepoju (1B)

Unknown said...

Learning that I was labeled as a Leftist Libertarian came as a bit of a shock to me as both my parents could be categorized as Authoritarian Right. Although my parents are the opposite of what I am, my answer doesn't completely surprise me because I tend to stray from their beliefs and sometimes fervently debate them on political issues. I do believe that the test accurately characterized my political ideology because I believe that the citizens should be given more freedom than we have and that our natural resources should be conserved. Being near Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama on the chart do not surprise me as I believe in many of the same principles as them; however, being near the president of France, who is a socialist and a Greek politician who is a communist comes as a bit of a revelation, because growing up I've always been under the assumption that communists and socialists are bad because they conflict with the ideas of Democracy. A great deal of change can come in five years, especially with college ahead of me. In college your group of friends change, your teacher and school changes, and you aren't living with your parents anymore which can all combine together to turn your views in places you couldn't have seen yourself.

Unknown said...

The answer I got is mostly what I was expecting which was about in the center because I would say I'm pretty neutral on political ideology due to the fact that i am not very fanatical about something one way or the other. Yes the test did a nice job characterizing me because it placed me in a place i expected to be at due to my stance on politics. The closest historical person to me was Nelson Mandela and he was an amazing person with great political ideals concerning race so I'm honored to be next to him. I was not near anyone i didn't want to be associated with. I believe political ideals can change over time and with new issues and ideas and also the fact that i am browning older so it effects me more so i do think that in perhaps 5 years my score could be different.

Dustin Ferioli said...

I got like middle Libertarian (what does that mean?).
I'm not particularly surprised about my results. I've always generally felt in libertarian ideas but my ideas on economic issues have been changing and have been becoming more left.
I don't really match up with any political figures on the chart, but I feel like I match up more with neo-liberal ideas than communist ideas.
If I took this test in five years, they will definitely change to be more left, I can imagine. They have been changing recently.