01 · Economy
Ownership
PublicPrivate
Whether key industries, land and services should be owned collectively or privately.
● Free political test12 axes4 familiesNo sign-up
The 12 Axes
Political Test
Two axes flatten your politics into a dot. Twelve show the shape. Measure where you stand on ownership, markets, authority, religion, trade and seven more, then see which ideologies, leaders and countries match you.
Choose a depth
Start the standard test No sign-up · private by default
Example profileFig. 1
Religion-64 Secular
Closest ideologySocial Democracy 86%
Historical twinClement Attlee85% match162 statements124 ideologies258 historical figures63 country profiles
258 historical figures
Which leader from history thinks like you?
Presidents, prime ministers, revolutionaries and thinkers, each scored on the same 12 axes from their public record.
- Clement AttleeUK prime minister, 1945 to 1951Social democrat
Abraham LincolnUS president, 1861 to 1865Republican
Winston ChurchillUK prime minister, 1940 to 1945Conservative
Margaret ThatcherUK prime minister, 1979 to 1990Conservative
John F. KennedyUS president, 1961 to 1963Democrat
Mahatma GandhiIndian independence leaderNonviolence
Martin Luther King Jr.Civil rights leaderCivil rights
Ronald ReaganUS president, 1981 to 1989Republican
Karl MarxPhilosopher, 1818 to 1883Communist
Charles de GaulleFrench president, 1959 to 1969Gaullist
Rosa LuxemburgRevolutionary, 1871 to 1919Socialist
Otto von BismarckGerman chancellor, 1871 to 1890Conservative
Find my historical twinAll 258 figures are matched on every result.
Why 12 axes beat 2
The same person, measured twice. On a 2-axis compass they land near the centre. On 12 axes, the leans that make them who they are show up.
2 axesResult: "centre left"
Strong secular views and a pro-tariff streak cancel out into an average.
12 axesResult: a shape
Secular -64, Welfare -61, Trade +22. Same answers, far more detail.
What the 12 axes measure
Each axis is scored on its own, from -100 to +100. They roll up into four families: Economy, State, Society and World.
02 · Economy
Markets
PlannedFree
How much government should plan and regulate versus leaving prices to markets.
03 · Economy
Welfare
SharedSelf-reliant
A broad safety net paid by taxes, or relying mainly on yourself, family and charity.
04 · State
Authority
DemocraticStrong leader
Checks, balances and opposition rights versus strong leadership with fewer limits.
05 · State
Security
LibertyOrder
Privacy and free expression versus policing, surveillance and public order.
06 · State
Structure
LocalCentral
Power with regions and communities, or with one national government.
07 · Society
Morality
ProgressiveTraditional
Openness to change on family, gender and personal choices versus established norms.
08 · Society
Religion
SecularReligious
Whether religion stays separate from law and public institutions or shapes them.
09 · Society
Technology
EmbraceCaution
Enthusiasm for AI and new technology versus caution to protect nature and jobs.
10 · Society
Culture
MulticulturalNational identity
Many cultures and higher immigration versus a shared national culture and language.
11 · World
Trade
GlobalProtected
Free trade across borders versus tariffs and protecting domestic industry.
12 · World
Foreign policy
CooperationStrength
Diplomacy and alliances versus military strength and acting alone.
How it works
One statement at a time
- 01Answer statementsAgree or disagree on a 5-point scale. Each one has a short explainer.
- 02Get 12 scoresStatements are keyed in both directions, so agreeing with everything does not skew you.
- 03See your matchesClosest ideology, historical twin, country and your political opposite.
Statement 26 of 72Ownership
Essential services such as energy and water should be publicly owned.
What this means: Energy and water can be supplied by public bodies or by private companies.
Your result
A readout, not a label
Every axis gets a score and a plain-English line on what it means. Share a card, compare with a friend, or keep it to yourself.
12axes-test.comSocial DemocracyTwin: Clement Attlee · 85%
Example readout-100 · 0 · +100
Ownership
-79
Markets
-32
Welfare
-61
Authority
-91
Security
+31
Structure
+4
Morality
-20
Religion
-64
Technology
+1
Culture
-12
Trade
+22
Foreign
-25
Who thinks like you?
Your 12 scores are matched against every ideology, figure and country profile in the database.
Closest ideologySocial Democracy86%Strongest overlap on authority and ownership
Historical twinClement Attlee85%UK prime minister, 1945 to 1951
Clement Attlee85%UK prime minister, 1945 to 1951Country matchColombia77%Policy profile built from public indicators
Your oppositeAnarcho-Capitalism47%Furthest from you on 9 of 12 axes
12 axes test, explained
All questionsWhat is the 12 axes test?
A free political test that scores you on 12 separate axes across economy, state, society and world affairs, instead of the usual left-right and authoritarian-libertarian grid.
How is it different from the political compass?
The compass averages everything into 2 numbers. Here, someone can be pro-market and pro-welfare, or secular and nationalist, and the result shows it.
How long does it take?
Quick is 36 statements, about 5 minutes. Standard is 72. Deep is 162 and gives the most precise matches.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, free. No sign-up for your result. An account is optional, only to save results over time.
Is this site affiliated with other 12 axes projects?
12axes-test.com is an independent test with its own questions, scoring and profiles. It is not affiliated with any other site or project using the 12 axes name.