There's a chance that the Political Compass test isn't accurate

[PoetPhilosopher]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

When you compare the tests posted on the website, it shows the US as being far to the right and having a "Right" bias. However, people are now saying online, and trying to demonstrate, that when they input the data manually to the best of their ability for how they think these politicians would answer, the US doesn't have a "Right" problem, and someone like Obama or Sanders are actually pretty far to the Left.

At this time, I haven't tried to test such a thing myself, but I do have a chart from the website showing how they consider things to be:

The Political Compass

In personal tests, people are claiming they get much different results for figures such as Obama and even Sanders.

Also, here's some additional reading from 2019: The Political Compass Test is Garbage | www.splicetoday.com

 

[SomeRandom]

As I understand it, (and based on my interactions with various Americans online) the US Overton Window is indeed further right in comparison to the rest of the western world right now. Like what the US calls left is what I would call mildly conservative at best so….I mean the test isn’t wrong on that, afaik
But perhaps there is bias in the political test. I honestly don’t know

 

[The Sum of Awe]

As I understand it, (and based on my interactions with various Americans online) the US Overton Window is indeed further right in comparison to the rest of the western world right now. Like what the US calls left is what I would call mildly conservative at best so….I mean the test isn’t wrong on that, afaik
But perhaps there is bias in the political test. I honestly don’t know

In what ways is the left mildly conservative? There are people here that are further left than beyond reason. Unless you mean democratic politicians, which in that case it’s all a joke, not even on the compass.

 

[SomeRandom]

In what ways is the left mildly conservative? There are people here that are further left than beyond reason. Unless you mean democratic politicians, which in that case it’s all a joke, not even on the compass.

I won’t pretend to understand US politics.
I barely understand my own.
But for example I live in what’s considered a fairly conservative state. My education, as I’m told by others, is not conservative to their minds in any way shape or form. Sex Ed for example. My state in that regard makes the US republican viewpoint on it look downright Puritanical by contrast.

Make of that what you will.

 

[Revoltingest]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

When you compare the tests posted on the website, it shows the US as being far to the right and having a "Right" bias. However, people are now saying online, and trying to demonstrate, that when they input the data manually to the best of their ability for how they think these politicians would answer, the US doesn't have a "Right" problem, and someone like Obama or Sanders are actually pretty far to the Left.

At this time, I haven't tried to test such a thing myself, but I do have a chart from the website showing how they consider things to be:

The Political Compass

In personal tests, people are claiming they get much different results for figures such as Obama and even Sanders.

Also, here's some additional reading from 2019: The Political Compass Test is Garbage | www.splicetoday.com

The test is for fun.
Accuracy is secondary.

The Nolan Chart is better because it recognizes
"libertarian" as both social & economic liberty.....

 

[ChristineM]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

When you compare the tests posted on the website, it shows the US as being far to the right and having a "Right" bias. However, people are now saying online, and trying to demonstrate, that when they input the data manually to the best of their ability for how they think these politicians would answer, the US doesn't have a "Right" problem, and someone like Obama or Sanders are actually pretty far to the Left.

At this time, I haven't tried to test such a thing myself, but I do have a chart from the website showing how they consider things to be:

The Political Compass

In personal tests, people are claiming they get much different results for figures such as Obama and even Sanders.

Also, here's some additional reading from 2019: The Political Compass Test is Garbage | www.splicetoday.com

The political compass always seems fairly accurate to me. I consider US politics to range from centre to far right with the majority of politicians falling to far right.

 

[Stevicus]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

When you compare the tests posted on the website, it shows the US as being far to the right and having a "Right" bias. However, people are now saying online, and trying to demonstrate, that when they input the data manually to the best of their ability for how they think these politicians would answer, the US doesn't have a "Right" problem, and someone like Obama or Sanders are actually pretty far to the Left.

At this time, I haven't tried to test such a thing myself, but I do have a chart from the website showing how they consider things to be:

The Political Compass

In personal tests, people are claiming they get much different results for figures such as Obama and even Sanders.

Also, here's some additional reading from 2019: The Political Compass Test is Garbage | www.splicetoday.com

Well, the political spectrum itself was really just an approximation, a guideline. It's not necessarily "garbage," but it was never meant to be viewed as having some kind of mathematical precision either.

 

[Debater Slayer]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

Well, there's part of the problem: you may be taking Reddit too seriously when it comes to politics.

A lot of Redditors are achingly sheltered from society at large and from countries besides their own. There's a reason Reddit is notorious for fostering echo chambers and hive minds.

 

[Debater Slayer]

There are people here that are further left than beyond reason.

There are political extremists everywhere, but sometimes the definition thereof partially depends on how one views being "left-wing within reason." To some people, prohibition of speech that incites violence or supporting the freedom of adoption for same-sex couples is "beyond reason."

 

[The Sum of Awe]

There are political extremists everywhere, but sometimes the definition thereof partially depends on how one views being "left-wing within reason." To some people, prohibition of speech that incites violence or supporting the freedom of adoption for same-sex couples is "beyond reason."

Why should we dictate what others state? We can’t block off people expressing their opinions no matter how irrational they are, that’s dictating the evolution of society.

 

[Stevicus]

As I understand it, (and based on my interactions with various Americans online) the US Overton Window is indeed further right in comparison to the rest of the western world right now. Like what the US calls left is what I would call mildly conservative at best so….I mean the test isn’t wrong on that, afaik
But perhaps there is bias in the political test. I honestly don’t know

I think the issue is that politics has gotten far more complex since the original left-right spectrum was formulated. I think it might be better to have multiple spectrums for different issues.

There could be a separate spectrum on social issues, one for economic issues, one for foreign policy.

For example, on the social spectrum, those who support civil rights for all might be on the left side of the spectrum, while those who don't would be more on the right.

On the economic spectrum, those who lean towards socialism and government intervention in the economy might be on the left, while those who eschew government intervention and support more of an anarcho-mafia economy would be more on the right.

On foreign policy, those who believe in non-interventionist neutrality and a peaceful, live-and-let-live approach would be on the left, while those who favor interventionist, patriotic, imperialistic, nationalistic positions would be associated more with the right.

 

[Harel13]

Of course it's inaccurate and/or garbage. It's an online personality test, for heaven's sakes.
Another hype was the 16 types test or whatever it was called. It didn't perfectly define me, either.

 

[wellwisher]

The problem with such tools is the Left controls both Public and College education in the American culture. It is taboo for many Conservative speakers to speak in many Universities. University used to be place where the young people get to try all things and broaden horizons. The goal in terms of controlling education, is to shift what is called the neutral center point, to the Left, in terms of the children. Center normal then becomes centered on Left wing agenda for the young people.

This creates a relative reference illusion. If an adult is set in their ways and is Conservative, the center moving to the left; youth, makes the set in their way Conservative, now look farther right in comparison, even with nothing they do having changed. They did not change. If you are set in your ways as an Adult on the Left, and nothing changes, the shift to a new center, that is more left, make you look closer to the center. It is all an illusion or game. I would not trust the results until we normalize the game.

Parents are pushing back, so schools have to return to the real center away from more left. This has the opposite affect in terms of placing people, who are set in their ways, and have not changed, either left or right. Conservative look more Main Street and seasoned Left, starts to look more radical.

We need free speech so nobody can rig the game and use peer pressure on the children to force conformity to an artificially moving center, to the Left or to the right Right. The Left appears to need to control the center point more, since free speech does not help their cause, as much as controlled disinformation. Free speech neutralizes many of their games. Twitter is no longer stacked left, so this is allowing a shift back to the real center.

The results are expected since Conservative is based on Conserved values based on long term data and testing of time proven ideas; Constitution. Liberal is more about change, for the sake of novelty and change, often without much in terms of long term performance data. How long have they been pushing gender and do the oldest experiments still agree to the conditioning?

The Left needs more in the way of sales pitch, since there is less test driven data, in new products. The used car salesman does need a conscious consumer, near his sale, since this could undermine their game with inconvenient things like facts and figures. Conservatives will be censored if they pointer out lack of data. If your position is secure with data, free speech is easier to handle and does not need to be suppressed. New things can also gain good data over time. The Constitution was also new a one time but it would stand the test of time.

 

[Viker]

I take such tests with a grain of salt. They're not perfect or completely accurate, but not ridiculously out of touch either.

You have to remember, American left does not entirely reflect leftism in a broad sense. It is just left of an idealistic, in American terms, center and further left than the American right which is actually just right of that center itself. The American center has always been slight right of a broader abstract center.

The US is unique to Britain, which is unique to Finland and so on. These tests fairly attempt to make a composite of abstracts and generalities. I see them as more for entertainment and casual discussion.

 

[Soandso]

The test is for fun.
Accuracy is secondary.

The Nolan Chart is better because it recognizes
"libertarian" as both social & economic liberty.....

Do you have a link to a good test that utilizes this chart? I tried one but the questions were very leading and loaded

 

[Heyo]

As accusations fly online of the Political Compass test possibly having left-wing bias to it in addition, people on Reddit are testing some charts from the Political Compass website where it is listing where "Obama, Sanders, Trump, etc" land on a scale, and comparing it with themselves doing the test, manually answering how they think these politicians would answer.

When you compare the tests posted on the website, it shows the US as being far to the right and having a "Right" bias. However, people are now saying online, and trying to demonstrate, that when they input the data manually to the best of their ability for how they think these politicians would answer, the US doesn't have a "Right" problem, and someone like Obama or Sanders are actually pretty far to the Left.

At this time, I haven't tried to test such a thing myself, but I do have a chart from the website showing how they consider things to be:

The Political Compass

In personal tests, people are claiming they get much different results for figures such as Obama and even Sanders.

Also, here's some additional reading from 2019: The Political Compass Test is Garbage | www.splicetoday.com

I found the political compass as reasonably accurate for what little data they collect. And most RFians agreed when we all took the test about two years ago.
The results that were offered for candidates were a bit more controversial. They didn't take the test but their results were compiled from statements they publicly made. And depending on how those were selected and how much that was common knowledge with the users, it could differ a lot.
The test could be updated and made more accurate by adding more questions but who would take it if it takes an hour to fill out?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I found the political compass as reasonably accurate for what little data they collect. And most RFians agreed when we all took the test about two years ago.
The results that were offered for candidates were a bit more controversial. They didn't take the test but their results were compiled from statements they publicly made. And depending on how those were selected and how much that was common knowledge with the users, it could differ a lot.
The test could be updated and made more accurate by adding more questions but who would take it if it takes an hour to fill out?

Just a note to say that after reading the posts here, including yours and this one:

Well, there's part of the problem: you may be taking Reddit too seriously when it comes to politics.

A lot of Redditors are achingly sheltered from society at large and from countries besides their own. There's a reason Reddit is notorious for fostering echo chambers and hive minds.

I don't believe I'll be doubling down on the OP statements.

 

[Stevicus]

The test could be updated and made more accurate by adding more questions but who would take it if it takes an hour to fill out?

This is true. I think a lot of tests tend to be more short, "ballpark" tests which are mostly static and don't really say much. But a longer test with more questions might help give a better indication. Perhaps a "stress test" might be added to it. Put test subjects out in the wilderness and tell them that they have to cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with a herring. Come back after three days and ask them what their political views are. You'd probably get more honest, candid responses than what people might say on an internet quiz in the comfort of their own home.

 

[Revoltingest]

Do you have a link to a good test that utilizes this chart? I tried one but the questions were very leading and loaded

I've never found a test I'd call "good".
But these things are entertaining.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Why should we dictate what others state? We can’t block off people expressing their opinions no matter how irrational they are, that’s dictating the evolution of society.

Most countries, developed or otherwise, have laws against speech that incites violence. Irrational speech per se isn't the issue; it's speech that causes violence against any specific group or individual.