A political values explorer
12 Axes
A wider lens on what you believe. Explore your political values across twelve independent dimensions, at your own pace.
Your views have
more than two sides.
Explore the ideas that shape how you see the world. Twelve dimensions, considered independently. Room for the combinations that make you, you.
Choose your depth
Same twelve axes. Your pace.
Choose what you think, not what you think you should.
On your device
Answers and scoring stay in your browser. Your progress saves here automatically.
A map, not a label
See each dimension separately, including the places where your views cross familiar lines.
Made for reflection
Explore ideas and compare simplified profiles. Results are a starting point for curiosity.
Beyond left and right
Twelve ways to look at society.
Every test length explores all twelve dimensions. None is a “good” or “bad” end of a scale; each describes a different political preference. Open an axis to see what it measures.
01StructureFederal Unitary
How much power should belong to regions rather than the national government?
02RepresentationDemocracy Autocracy
Should political authority depend on public participation or concentrated leadership?
03PowerSecurity Liberty
How should public order be balanced with individual freedom?
04ImmigrationAssimilation Pluralism
Should newcomers adopt one shared culture or maintain different cultural identities?
05DiplomacyMilitary strength Peacebuilding
Should international disputes be approached through deterrence or negotiation?
06SovereigntyNational autonomy Global cooperation
How far should countries share authority and obligations across borders?
07OwnershipPublic ownership Private ownership
Who should own and operate the economy’s productive resources?
08MarketsPlanning Free markets
Should economic coordination come mainly from public plans or market competition?
09TradeProtectionism Free trade
How open should an economy be to goods, investment, and competition from abroad?
10ReligionSecular Religious
What role should religious institutions and teachings have in public life?
11SocietyProgressive Traditional
How should society approach inherited customs and changing social norms?
12TechnologyInnovation Precaution
How readily should society adopt technologies that change human life and nature?
A transparent starting point
How the map is drawn.
Choose from five responses to each statement. We average the answers on each axis, balance statements pointing toward the two opposing poles, and scale the result to 0–100. Neutral answers stay at the center. The two percentages on an axis always add up to 100.
Within 9 points of center is “balanced”; 10–24 is “leaning”; 25–39 is “strong”; and 40–50 is “very strong.” These are descriptive bands chosen for this tool. The twelve scores are independent, so an answer about ownership does not change your score on civil liberties.
Context matters
Explore the comparison, then the ideas.
The reference catalog contains 18 ideologies, 8 country models, and 8 thinkers. We assign each profile twelve illustrative coordinates, then compare them using root-mean-square distance. Source links give reading context; the numerical estimates are ours. Country models describe selected institutional traditions, not residents or a live assessment of a government.
A test like this can invite useful questions, but it cannot capture all the circumstances behind a belief. Framing, neutral responses, and the catalog’s coverage affect the result. Treat nearby profiles as things to read about rather than identities to adopt.
A few useful answers
12 Axes FAQ
What is the 12 Axes test?
12 Axes is a free political reflection tool. It maps your answers onto twelve independent dimensions, from the structure of government and civil liberties to economic ownership, religion, and technology. You can explore combinations of views without reducing them to a single left–right label.
How long does the test take?
Quick exploration has 36 questions and takes roughly 5–7 minutes. A closer look has 60 questions and takes about 10–12 minutes. The full picture includes all 240 questions and usually takes 35–45 minutes. All versions cover every axis, and you can save and exit at any point.
How are the twelve scores calculated?
Answers run from −2 for strongly disagree to +2 for strongly agree. For each axis, we calculate separate averages for statements pointing toward each pole, reverse the left-facing answers, and give the two groups equal weight. The result is scaled to 0–100 and rounded. This balances the direction of wording even in shorter tests with an odd number of statements per axis.
Are my answers sent to a server?
The tool scores your answers in your browser and does not send them to a scoring service. Answers are saved in local storage on this browser so that you can resume. You can delete them from the start screen. A result link stores only twelve coordinates in the URL fragment; anyone you give that link to can view those coordinates. The website’s usual analytics and privacy policy still apply.
What do the profile similarity percentages mean?
Profiles have twelve editorial coordinates. Similarity is 100 minus the root-mean-square distance between your twelve scores and a reference profile. It measures closeness inside this simplified model, not a probability, a population percentile, or how fully you endorse a movement or person. The catalog contains 18 ideologies, 8 country models, and 8 political thinkers.
Is this a scientific assessment or the original 12 Axes project?
This is an independent, educational implementation inspired by the twelve-dimension quiz concept. It uses original questions, code, and editorial reference models. It is not affiliated with the reference project, is not scientifically validated, and does not reproduce that project’s proprietary question bank or large catalogs.
Can I save, print, or share my result?
Yes. Copy a result link to reopen your twelve scores, download a PNG card, or choose Print / PDF and use your browser’s Save as PDF option. Links and cards include coordinates rather than individual answers. Your current completed test is also available from the start screen on this browser.
Concept reference: 12 Axes by Enzo Xavier Santos. This independently built tool uses its own questions, scoring implementation, and curated profiles. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by that project.
Explore more browser tools