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12 Axes Test

Nationalism vs Internationalism

The Nationalism vs Internationalism axis asks where your political loyalty and priorities lie: with your own nation and its sovereignty, or with international cooperation and the wider world.

Diplomatic domain0% Nationalism ⟷ 100% Internationalism
Nationalism

The nation, with its identity, sovereignty and interests, comes first in politics and foreign policy.

vs
Internationalism

Countries should cooperate through shared rules and institutions, and obligations extend beyond one’s own borders.

0% (Nationalism)50% Neutral100% (Internationalism)

The question this axis asks: Should a country put its own interests and identity first, or work through shared international rules?

Compare both sidesReal-world examples

Where do you stand?

Statement 1 of 3

A country’s first duty is to its own citizens, before the rest of the world.

Nothing is sent anywhere.

What is Nationalism vs Internationalism?

The question this axis asks

Should a country put its own interests and identity first, or work through shared international rules?

This axis is about how you see your country’s place in the world. It covers national identity and pride, sovereignty, membership in bodies such as the United Nations or the European Union, foreign aid and the idea of duties to people in other countries.

People on the Nationalism side usually believe that a shared national identity builds trust and solidarity and that governments should answer to their own citizens first. People on the Internationalism side usually believe that many problems, such as climate change, pandemics and war, cross borders, and that countries do better by cooperating.

What does each side believe?

Neither side is better or worse. They are different answers to the same question.

What does Nationalism mean?

The nation, with its identity, sovereignty and interests, comes first in politics and foreign policy.

Typical positions

  • A country’s first duty is to its own citizens
  • National sovereignty should not be limited by outside bodies
  • A strong national identity holds a society together
  • Foreign policy should serve national interests

What does Internationalism mean?

Countries should cooperate through shared rules and institutions, and obligations extend beyond one’s own borders.

Typical positions

  • Countries should share some sovereignty to solve global problems
  • International institutions such as the United Nations deserve more power
  • Wealthy countries have duties to poorer ones
  • Blocs and alliances make their members stronger

What does your Nationalism vs Internationalism score mean?

Scores run from 0% to 100% toward Internationalism. Here is how to read them.

ScoreWhat it suggests
0–15%Very strongly Nationalism
16–30%Strongly Nationalism
31–43%Leaning Nationalism
44–56%Near the middle
57–69%Leaning Internationalism
70–84%Strongly Internationalism
85–100%Very strongly Internationalism

A middle score suggests you value both national self-government and international cooperation, depending on the issue.

How does Nationalism vs Internationalism play out in the real world?

The debate runs through arguments about EU membership, UN peacekeeping, climate agreements, foreign aid and treaties. Every country mixes both outlooks, but governments differ in how much weight they give to sovereignty compared with cooperation. Estimated profiles of countries and ideologies at each end of this axis.

Countries leaning Nationalism

  1. 1North Korea95% toward Nationalism
  2. 2Russia88% toward Nationalism
  3. 3Afghanistan88% toward Nationalism
  4. 4Belarus85% toward Nationalism
  5. 5Iran80% toward Nationalism

Ideologies leaning Nationalism

  1. 1Fascism98% toward Nationalism
  2. 2Paleoconservatism90% toward Nationalism
  3. 3National Conservatism88% toward Nationalism
  4. 4Theocracy78% toward Nationalism

Countries leaning Internationalism

  1. 1Luxembourg88% toward Internationalism
  2. 2Sweden85% toward Internationalism
  3. 3Netherlands82% toward Internationalism
  4. 4Ireland80% toward Internationalism
  5. 5Canada80% toward Internationalism

Ideologies leaning Internationalism

  1. 1Anarcho-Communism95% toward Internationalism
  2. 2Cosmopolitanism95% toward Internationalism
  3. 3Communism92% toward Internationalism
  4. 4Anarcho-Syndicalism92% toward Internationalism

These are editorial estimates for discussion, not rankings of quality.

Which terms relate to Nationalism vs Internationalism?

Words you may meet in the test statements about this axis.

Nationalism vs Internationalism

Blocs

A bloc is a group of countries, or of political parties, that act together on shared interests, such as a trade bloc, a military alliance or a voting bloc.

Read the explanation

What do people get wrong about Nationalism vs Internationalism?

  • Nationalism here means putting the nation first. It does not mean hostility toward other countries.
  • Internationalism does not mean having no national pride. It means believing that cooperation across borders is worth some trade-offs.
  • This axis is separate from Assimilationist vs Multiculturalist, which is about culture within a country.

Frequently asked questions about Nationalism vs Internationalism

Nationalism puts the interests, identity and sovereignty of one’s own nation first. Internationalism holds that countries should cooperate through shared institutions and that obligations extend beyond borders.

They overlap. Patriotism usually means affection for one’s country. Nationalism is a political position that emphasizes national identity and sovereignty, and in this test it means putting national interests first.

The United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the European Union and international courts are common examples.

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Three statements show one axis. The full test scores every axis and finds your closest countries and ideologies.

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