Personality
Political Orientation test
Where do you sit on the conservative–liberal spectrum?
What this test is
Political orientation is one of the most studied topics in social psychology. Research shows that attitudes cluster along two largely independent dimensions: economic attitudes (markets, redistribution, the role of the state) and social-cultural attitudes (tradition, authority, social change). This assessment maps your position on both, giving you a nuanced picture rather than a single label. It is descriptive, not normative — no position on the spectrum is 'better' than another.
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a structured description of this side of themselves — for their own understanding, for a conversation with someone close to them, or as preparation for a decision. It is an educational self-assessment: it is not a recruitment instrument and it is not a clinical or diagnostic assessment.
How the test works
You answer 20 statements one at a time on a five-point agreement scale, which takes about 8 minutes. Roughly half the items are reverse-keyed, so agreeing with everything does not inflate your scores. Answers are averaged per dimension and reported as a percentage of the maximum for that dimension, then turned into a written profile.
What you'll receive
- A separate score for economic and social-cultural orientation
- A written interpretation of where you sit on each dimension
- The strengths and blind spots of your orientation
- Reflection prompts for engaging across political differences
What it measures
Economic Orientation
Attitudes toward markets, redistribution, welfare and the role of the state in the economy. Higher scores lean progressive/left; lower scores lean free-market conservative.
Social-Cultural Orientation
Attitudes toward tradition, authority, social change and moral norms. Higher scores lean liberal/progressive; lower scores lean conservative/traditionalist.
Limitations
This is a self-report questionnaire, so it measures how you describe yourself today — which is shaped by mood, recent events and how you would like to be seen. Scores are percentages within this test, not percentile ranks against a population sample. Read the result as a description to think with, not a fact about you. How to interpret your results goes into this in more depth.
Scientific basis
- Jost, J. T., Glaser, J., Kruglanski, A. W., & Sulloway, F. J. (2003). Political conservatism as motivated social cognition. Psychological Bulletin, 129(3), 339–375. View publication
- Haidt, J. (2012). The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. Pantheon. View publication
- Everett, J. A. C. (2013). The 12 Item Social and Economic Conservatism Scale (SECS). PLoS ONE, 8(12), e82131. View publication
- Feldman, S., & Johnston, C. (2014). Understanding the determinants of political ideology: Dimensions of predispositions and political sophistication. American Journal of Political Science, 58(2), 264–278. View publication
See all scientific references behind our assessments.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the political orientation test take?
About 8 minutes. There are 20 statements, each answered on a five-point agreement scale, one at a time.
Is the political orientation test free?
Taking the test and seeing your scored preview is free. The complete written report is an optional one-off unlock — there is no subscription.
How are my results calculated?
Each answer becomes a number, reverse-keyed items are flipped, and the items belonging to each dimension are averaged and expressed as a percentage of the maximum for that dimension.
Do I need an account?
No account is needed to start. You create a free account when you finish, so your answers and any unlocked report stay available to you.
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