Political beliefs
In charts
- Usually called left
- Neither or mixed
- Usually called right
Left, right, or neither
All 49 positions by how they are usually labelled.
By topic
One square per position. Hover to read it, or select it to jump to the full statement.
Four axes
A single left–right line hides a lot, so each position is also scored from −2 to +2 on the axes it touches. The ring marks the average.
Show the scores as a table
Rights and liberties
- Right
Free speech
Speech should be restricted only when it makes a direct threat of death against another person.
- Right
Hate and extremist groups
They should be allowed to exist. Hate is not illegal; murder and violent crime are.
- Left
Media
Mass media should be bound by rules against misinformation. Because it reaches the public at scale and can indoctrinate, it is not treated like an individual speaker.
- Right
Surveillance
Governments should surveil citizens to prevent crime and terrorism.
- Left
Data
The state should regulate what companies and platforms do with people’s data.
- Neither
Collective consent
Collective projects need collective consent. I oppose conscription, national service and mandatory vaccination.
- Right
Pornography
The state should control access to it, with age verification.
- Neither
Gambling
Private games, such as poker and cards, should be allowed under rules. Casinos, VLTs and other rigged games should be banned.
- Neither
Body and mind enhancement
People should be allowed to modify or enhance their bodies and minds with technology.
Life, death and the body
- Left
Healthcare
Healthcare is a universal right and should be publicly funded.
- Left
Abortion
Abortion should be legal, with limits on how late in a pregnancy it can be performed.
- Left
Assisted dying
It should be legal and highly regulated, available only to the terminally ill or in cases of extreme compassion.
- Left
Drugs
Drugs should be decriminalized and legalized. Consumption should be regulated and tied to a person’s health status, with access controlled and prescribed through clinics and retreats.
- Left
Sex work
It should be legal and regulated.
- Left
Food and drink
Foods that harm health should be heavily taxed, and the revenue should subsidize the cost of healthy food.
- Right
Gender and medical transition
Medical transition should never be available to minors. It should be restricted to people whose frontal cortex is fully developed. People who have transitioned must always identify themselves as having done so, and may not lie about their biological identity on public documents or to members of the public.
- Neither
Sentience
Sentience extends beyond humanity to other biological life and to synthetic life.
Family and society
- Neither
Marriage
Marriage should be only a label and should have no effect on tax status.
- Right
Adoption
Only heterosexual couples should be allowed to adopt children.
- Left
Childcare
Childcare and paid parental leave should be fully funded by the state.
- Left
Education
Education should be free for everyone.
- Left
Religion in schools
Schools should be free of religion unless it is studied historically or anthropologically. Religious schools should be banned.
- Left
Housing
Housing is a basic right and should not be left to the market. Every citizen should have a plot of land they can build on and live on if they choose.
- Right
Building
There should be minimal control over building, and free building should be legal. The government may inspect when health and safety are a concern.
- Neither
Indigenous peoples
The legal system should be harmonized, with universal laws and local bylaw governance. Property, mineral extraction and business rules may differ within Indigenous jurisdictions. Some laws, such as environmental laws, should be harmonized between local and national administration.
Justice and security
- Right
Death penalty
The death penalty should exist.
- Right
Police
Police should be highly trained and well funded.
- Neither
Prisons
Prisons should focus on rehabilitation. The death penalty applies only where rehabilitation is not an option. Depending on the crime and the criminal’s history, the criminal may choose the death penalty over a life sentence.
- Neither
Guns
Everyone should be able to receive free rifle training as part of national defence. The public should be able to own hunting rifles and shotguns. Handguns should be restricted to security personnel, to civilians who need them for defence in special circumstances, and to wilderness protection, such as hiking in bear country.
- Right
Military
A strong military is needed.
Government, economy and technology
- Neither
Voting
Voting should be legal for everyone over 25. Younger people would need a licence earned through an aptitude test. On top of this, votes should be weighted by knowledge, expertise and contribution.
- Neither
Head of state
A head of state should never be inherited. They should be chosen through a combination of election and merit.
- Right
Selection for jobs and university places
There should be no affirmative action or quotas. Selection should be merit-based and decided by an unbiased AI.
- Left
Religion and the state
The state should be based on scientific truth. It should be completely secular, free of influence from any religious group, and should not consult or engage with any religion.
- Left
Key industries
Key industries should be publicly owned, with high-level management directed by the public. Innovation and new technology, such as new mineral extraction methods, should be developed by the private sector with public grants.
- Left
Ownership limits
The state should limit how much a person or company can own.
- Neither
Wealth taxes
I am undecided. AI is changing the economy so quickly that economic policy may be better decided by complex algorithms than by fixed positions.
- Left
Universal basic income
Everyone should receive one. I see it as an inevitable necessity as AI automates work.
- Right
AI regulation
AI development is of national importance. Government regulatory systems are too slow and would only hinder it, so it should be regulated by experts in the field, who work in private industry.
- Neither
Space and science
The state should fund space exploration and large-scale scientific research, even without an immediate economic return.
- Right
Arts and culture
The state should not subsidize the arts, culture or public broadcasting.
Environment
- Neither
Climate
A carbon tax is acceptable only if every dollar collected goes directly to mitigating climate change, for example atmospheric scrubbers or direct research.
- Neither
Nuclear power
It should be expanded, though it need not be the main energy source.
- Left
Environmental protection
The state should enforce protection of the environment, even against private property rights.
The wider world
- Right
Borders
Borders should not be open. Open borders would be ideal, but we do not live in a perfect world.
- Right
Refugees
Refugee intake should be balanced. Countries should accept refugees in extreme conditions, on the agreement that they return to their home countries within an appropriate time.
- Neither
Citizenship
Citizenship should be tied to birth and residence.
- Right
Foreign aid
Aid should take the form of engineering expertise and infrastructure projects, such as universities, hospitals and roads, and not blank cheques. Financial payments to other countries should be banned.
- Neither
Global institutions
There should be a balance of power between nations and global institutions.
The left, right and neither tags follow how each position is usually framed in Western politics. They and the axis scores are approximate; the statements are what count.