Centrism favors moderate, pragmatic policies that avoid the extremes of left and right, choosing from different traditions case by case.
Key thinkers:Nelson Mandela, John Rawls, Isaiah BerlinTake the test and your match with Centrism shows up here. It is worked out in your browser and never sent anywhere.
Centrists tend to support a mixed economy, gradual reform and compromise. They are wary of ideological purity and prefer policies tested by evidence.
The center is not a single position: it moves with the political landscape of each country and era. Critics say that can mean having no principles; supporters say it means refusing to treat any one doctrine as always right.
The ideas that most people in this tradition would sign up to.
The term comes from the seating of the French revolutionary assemblies, where moderates sat between left and right.
Thinkers whose documented positions on the 12 axes align most closely with this ideology.
South African president · 1918–2013
A South African lawyer imprisoned for 27 years for his part in the fight against apartheid, who became the first president elected by all South Africans in 1994.
“Constitutional democracy with universal adult franchise and independent courts.”
Harvard political philosopher · 1921–2002
An American philosopher who proposed that just institutions are those people would choose behind a veil of ignorance, with equal basic liberties and inequalities only where they help the worst off.
“Constitutional democracy embodying fair terms of social cooperation among free citizens.”
Oxford political theorist · 1909–1997
A Riga-born Oxford scholar who distinguished negative from positive liberty and argued that human values are plural and can conflict without any master ranking.
“Sceptical of ideological crusades, but a committed Cold War anti-communist who accepted deterrence.”
These are its strongest leanings, followed by all twelve axes. They describe the typical version of the tradition.
Leans very strongly toward Democratic
85% toward Democratic
Leans toward Freedom
65% toward Freedom
Leans toward Globalism
65% toward Globalism
Editorial estimates for comparison and discussion. Real people and parties in this tradition vary.
Countries whose estimated profile is most like this ideology. No country follows a single ideology, so read this as a comparison, not a label.
Every tradition has critics. These are the objections most often raised.
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The test scores you on all twelve axes and ranks every ideology by how well it matches you.
