FAQ

This section answers common questions.

Why did you do this?

Just for fun. I like to talk about politics and I like to understand why people think what they think.

When was the test introduced?

The first version of the test was released in 2004. The Facebook version was released in December 2007 after 400,000 had already taken the test.

Do you have some hidden agenda?

Nah. This is just fun. I only wish that everyone could understand and respect the political opinions of others by seeing things from their perspective. My long-term goal (the site is not quite there yet) would be to help visitors gain that type of perspective.

You are obviously presenting things in a very slanted perspective. Aren't you?

Well, that's too bad you think that since I work hard at being objective. But objectivity in politics is impossible. Everything I say is tainted by my own moral beliefs. Let me know where you think I am messing up and I will try to fix it.

Are you 'commies bastards'?

Not last time I checked. Quite the opposite actually. My score is 0/-6.5. Halfway between Conservative and Progressive Neo-Liberalism. I am a die-hard capitalist. Sometimes people feel that the test must be progressive because of the reference to George Lakoff. I love his book and his theories but I don't share all his political opinions.

Why could I not find an answer that matched my views?

It's a common complaint. I will try to add some nuances to the answers. I am also trying to keep things simple.

Why did several answer match my views?

Another common complaint. But this is more to be expected. Morality is not always black and white. Just go with the answers that "feel" right?

This test cannot possibly have any statistical significance. Can it?

I am not trying to. There was no science behind it. Take it for what it is. Having said that, I have been fascinated by the shaping of the distribution and how balanced it's been. Most interesting is the fact that the average score is close to dead-center (0 ,0) on a worldwide basis.

Why don't you precisely define the expressions you use?

Because I am not trying to capture the truth, only how people view the world. Sometimes the expressions are vague by design to allow visitors to fit their own beliefs into the model.

Why don't you ask questions on the death penalty, abortion, taxes, the military,...?

Because your views on these issues do not capture your moral perspective (moral order and moral rules), these are consequences of your moral perspective. The test can actually tell you what you think about these based on your answer to the other questions.

For instance, your opinion on abortion depends primarily on your answers to Question 6 (About men and women) and also on Question 1 (About God). Even though this question does not talk about abortion.

Doesn't this test have an American slant?

Sorry, for our Canadian friends. I have lived 20 years in US but I was born in Europe so I like to think it helps me achieve a good balance.

We added the distribution of test results by country to help look at the results from the perspective of each country.

Shouldn't you have more questions?

I like to keep things simple. I know some questions need work but I have failed to see any reason to add more questions so far.

Doesn't this test oversimplify complex moral issues?

Of course it does. We recommend you walk through the overview to learn more or read George Lakoff's book.

Is the test available in different languages?

No, but if you are interested in translating this web site to a different language, let me know.