Distributism is an economic philosophy that favors widespread ownership of productive property, such as small farms and workshops, in place of both big capitalism and state socialism.
Key thinkers:Isaiah Berlin, Montesquieu, George OrwellTake the test and your match with Distributism shows up here. It is worked out in your browser and never sent anywhere.
Distributists argue that property should be spread across as many families as possible, so that people can work for themselves rather than for large corporations or the state. They favor small businesses, cooperatives, guilds and local economies.
It draws on Catholic social teaching and was championed by G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.
The ideas that most people in this tradition would sign up to.
It was developed in the early 20th century, inspired by Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891) and promoted by Chesterton and Belloc.
Thinkers whose documented positions on the 12 axes align most closely with this ideology.
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.
“Two Concepts of Liberty warns that unchecked laissez-faire destroys the freedom of the weak and accepts welfare measures, if their cost to liberty is counted.”
French political theorist · 1689–1755
A French jurist whose Spirit of the Laws compared forms of government and argued that liberty is safest where power is divided among separate institutions.
“Liberty is the right to do what the laws permit, free from arbitrary state fear.”
English novelist & essayist · 1903–1950
An English writer who fought in Spain, described poverty and empire at first hand, and warned against totalitarianism in Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four while remaining a democratic socialist.
“Democratic socialism rooted in freedom of speech and resistance to oligarchy.”
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 strongly toward Federal
80% toward Federal
Leans strongly toward Collectivize
75% toward Collectivize
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.
