(The following is a re"print" of two pages from the May/June 1987 issue of the Liberator, published by the Advocates for Self-Government.) WHO - in the world of politics - Agrees with YOU? Advocates for Self-Government Name _________________________________ 5533 E. Swift Addr _________________________________ Fresno CA 93727 City,St,Zip___________________________ 209-292-1776 Date ______________ Please give your opinion on the following ten statements. Your answers will be compared to common political groups such as liberal, conservative, libertarian, populist and socialist. The result will show which political family most agrees with you. Grading Scale AGREE This idea would probably work. I basically agree with it. DISAGREE This idea is absurd. It would work rarely, if ever. NEITHER This idea requires more information or thought. It might work in some situations but not in others, or if changed a great deal. +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Political Statements about Personal Freedoms: | | Circle Your Position | | | | 1. Military service should be voluntary Agree Disagree Neither | | and without a forced "draft". | | 2. Anti-drug laws do more harm than Agree Disagree Neither | | good. They should be repealed | | 3. The right of the people to bear arms Agree Disagree Neither | | should not be infringed. | | 4. Government should NOT try to regulate Agree Disagree Neither | | sex between consenting adults. | | 5. TV and radio should have "Freedom of Agree Disagree Neither | | the press" just like newspapers. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Political Statements about Economic Freedoms: | | | | 6. Welfare programs should be paid for by Agree Disagree Neither | | voluntary contributions, not taxes. | | 7. The post office should be sold and Agree Disagree Neither | | competition allowed in mail delivery. | | 8. Government should stop regulating Agree Disagree Neither | | business. Let competition do it. | | 9. We should get rid of tariffs and other Agree Disagree Neither | | barriers to free trade. | | 10. Subsidies to farmers do more harm than Agree Disagree Neither | | good. They should be ended. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ TO FIND YOUR POLITICAL POSITION: For questions 1 to 5, For questions 6 to See example below. Mark your score 20 points for 10, score the same Civil Liberties score on the each Agree, no points way: 20 points for VERTICAL scale on the large for each Disagree, Agree, nothing for Nolan Chart. Now draw a line and 10 points for a Disagree, and 10 from it straight to the right. Neither. The total for Neither. The Next mark your Economic score shows where you total shows how Freedom score on the HORIZONTAL stand on: much you favor: scale and draw a line straight up from it. Civil Economic The two lines cross in the poli- Liberties ________% Freedom ________% tical family that agrees with you. DEGREE OF 100 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ "CIVIL AND 90 + + PERSONAL 80 + + FREEDOM" 70 + + * +.................O + 50 + . + 40 + . + 30 + . + 20 + . + 10 + . + 0 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ 0 10 20 30 40 50 * 70 80 90 100 DEGREE OF "ECONOMIC FREEDOM" (C) Copyright 1987 by Marshall Fritz B E Y O N D L E F T / R I G H T The Left/Right scale is a misleading way of comparing political systems. It doen't measure anything. In fact, it doesn't even have tick-marks to show distance between different people or ideas: L R E Mitterand Thatcher I F -------------------------------------------- G T H T People use the left/right approach out of habit, but it leads to confusion. For example, Fascism is often placed on the Right and Socialism on the Left. Yet Fascism is "national" socialism. Indeed, the left/right scale is not a scale at all, just an obsolete reference to the seating arrangement of the French Assembly in the 1790's. * * * * * In 1970, Denver advertising executive David Nolan invented a better approach. He divided human action into two categories. The "Economic" category includes what you do as a producer and consumer. These are your actions which can be described in money. Example are earning a wage, buying a car, renting a motorhome. The "Civil" (or personal) category includes what you do in relationships and in expressing yourself. These actions are NOT measured in money. Examples are the way you worship God, or don't; what books or magazines give you pleasure; your personal tradeoffs between today's fun and tomorrow's health. The Bill of Rights is aimed at your freedoms in this category. Nolan saw how political families can be understood by the degree of INDIVIDUAL choice they offer in these categories. You can use this improved way of mapping political thought to better understand your local, national and international political environment. ----=====< N O L A N C H A R T >=====---- An improvement on the left-right political spectrum 100 +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | | DEGREE | | | OF 90 + + + "CIVIL | | | AND | | | PER- 80 + LEFT/LIBERAL + CLASSICAL LIBERAL/ + SONAL | | LIBERTARIAN | FREEDOM" | | | 70 + L. /-----\ + | . / \ | | . / \ | 60 + / . \ + | / . \ | | / . \ | 50 +-----+-----+---( CENTRIST )---+-----+-----+ | \ . / | | \ . / | 40 + \ . / + | \ / | | \ / . | 30 + \-----/ . + | | .R | | | | 20 + SOCIALIST & + RIGHT/ + | POPULIST | CONSERVATIVE | | | | 10 + + + | | | | | | 0 +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 DEGREE OF "ECONOMIC FREEDOM" The Nolan Chart overcomes the weaknesses of the outdated left/right political spectrum +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | LEFT/LIBERALS like personal choice SOCIALISTS & POPULISTS favor central | | in civil matters and central decis- decision-making in both civil and | | ion-making in economics. They want economic matters. They believe the | | government to serve the disadvan- needs of the individual are subordi- | | ged and promote equality. Left/ dinate to the needs of society. They | | liberals place high value on good want government to "correct wrongs." | | intentions. While they strongly differ on partic- | | They accept diversity in social ular programs, both prefer equality | | behavior but seek more equality in equality in economic and personal | | economics. They work with liber- matters. | | tarians in defending civil liber- | | ties and with socialists in CLASSICAL LIBERALS/LIBERTARIANS like | | advancing economic central plan- personal choice in both civil and | | ning. economic matters. They believe gov- | | ernment's only purpose is to safe- | | RIGHT/CONSERVATIVES like personal guard people from coercion and | | choice in economics and central violence. They value individual | | decision-making in civil matters. responsibility and tolerance. Lib- | | They want government to defend the ertarians accept diversity in both | | community from threats to its social behavior and economic | | moral fiber. Right/conservatives situation. | | place high value on laws and legi- | | slation. CENTRISTS favor selective governmen- | | They accept diversity in econ- tal intervention and temporary | | omics but seek similarity in soc- affiliations with others. They take | | ial behavior. They work with lib- a strong stance on few issues, pre- | | ertarians in defending economic fering the middle position in most | | freedoms and with populists in matters. Centrists emphasize prac- | | enforcing community standards in tical solutions to current public | | social matters. issues. | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Advocates for Self-Government, Inc. 5533 E. Swift Ave, Fresno CA 93727 209-292-1776 (C) Copyright 1987 by Marshall Fritz