12 Axes vs Political Compass
A political compass test places you on two axes, one economic and one social. The 12 axes test scores twelve separate spectrums across government, diplomacy, the economy and society, so it shows where your views mix instead of a single point on a chart.
At a glance
| Feature | Two-axis compass | 12 axes test |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Two | Twelve |
| Result | One point on a chart | Twelve percentages and a profile icon |
| Foreign policy, religion, technology | Folded into the two scores | Scored on their own axes |
| Best for | A quick snapshot | A detailed profile |
How do a political compass and the 12 axes differ?
Both try to describe your views with a few numbers. They differ in how many numbers, and in what each one stands for.
Dimensions
- Two-axis compass
- Two: an economic axis and a social axis
- 12 axes test
- Twelve, in four groups of three
What you get
- Two-axis compass
- A single point on a grid
- 12 axes test
- Twelve percentages, a profile icon and ranked matches
Economic views
- Two-axis compass
- One economic axis
- 12 axes test
- Three: ownership, state planning and trade openness
Social and cultural views
- Two-axis compass
- One social axis
- 12 axes test
- Three: religion, social change and technology
Government and rights
- Two-axis compass
- Usually folded into the social axis
- 12 axes test
- Three: federalism, democracy, and security versus freedom
Foreign policy and identity
- Two-axis compass
- Often folded into the two axes
- 12 axes test
- Three: nationalism, military posture and integration
Time to complete
- Two-axis compass
- Short to medium
- 12 axes test
- About 4, 7 or 14 minutes
Easy to compare with others
- Two-axis compass
- Yes: everyone sits on the same grid
- 12 axes test
- Harder, but it shows why two people differ
| Feature | Two-axis compass | 12 axes test |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Two: an economic axis and a social axis | Twelve, in four groups of three |
| What you get | A single point on a grid | Twelve percentages, a profile icon and ranked matches |
| Economic views | One economic axis | Three: ownership, state planning and trade openness |
| Social and cultural views | One social axis | Three: religion, social change and technology |
| Government and rights | Usually folded into the social axis | Three: federalism, democracy, and security versus freedom |
| Foreign policy and identity | Often folded into the two axes | Three: nationalism, military posture and integration |
| Time to complete | Short to medium | About 4, 7 or 14 minutes |
| Easy to compare with others | Yes: everyone sits on the same grid | Harder, but it shows why two people differ |
Where do the two kinds of test overlap?
The 12 axes include the questions a compass asks, plus several it leaves out.
The economic axis
Collectivize vs Privatize and Planned vs Laissez-faire cover what a compass calls the economic axis, with Isolationism vs Globalism adding trade.
The social or authority axis
Security vs Freedom and Democratic vs Autocratic are the closest match to a compass's authority axis, and Progressive vs Traditional covers social values.
Beyond the grid
Nationalism, military posture, integration, religion, technology and federalism have axes of their own, so they are not folded into something else.
The mapping is approximate. The tests ask different questions, so one result cannot be converted exactly into the other.
What does a two-axis chart leave out?
Any short summary drops something. These are the things a grid of two axes tends to lose.
Different people, same point
A free-market nationalist and a free-market globalist can land in the same corner, even though they disagree about much of foreign policy.
Foreign policy gets lost
Views on the military, alliances and immigration have to be squeezed into a social score, or they go unmeasured.
Technology and religion barely register
Debates about enhancement technology or the role of religion in public life do not fit neatly on either axis.
Which test should you take?
It depends on what you want to learn.
Take a compass test for a snapshot
If you want one quick picture that is easy to share and compare, a two-axis chart does the job.
Take the 12 axes test for the detail
If you want to see where your views mix, and why you sit near some ideologies and countries, twelve axes tell you more.
Take both and compare
Different tests ask different questions. Where they agree, you can be more confident, and where they differ, you learn something.
Political Compass is the name of a separate website. This page describes two-axis compass tests in general and is not affiliated with it.
Frequently asked questions
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See your own twelve scores
Take the test and compare your profile with countries and ideologies. It takes about 7 minutes, and nothing leaves your browser.