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Closest civic traditionConsociational compromise, free trade and a long liberal-constitutional inheritance.
79%Political ideology test
The 12 axes test — not one line.
Twelve independent scores, matched against 31 ideologies, 28 civic traditions and 53 historical figures.
✓Free · No signup · Scored in your browser · Share card
All three use the same twelve axes and the same scoring. The 120-question Deep run is the complete question bank.
Sample resultStandard run
90%match
GeorgismTax the value of land, and leave the rest of production alone.
PowerCivil liberty
EconomyFree market
EcologyEcological limits
RightsEntrenched rights
What is the 12Axes test?
The 12Axes test is a free political test that scores your answers on twelve independent axes instead of a single left-to-right line. It has the shape of a political quiz — a run of statements you agree or disagree with — but what comes back is a profile rather than one label.
Your answers are matched against a written library of 31 ideologies, 28 civic traditions and 53 historical figures. Where a single-axis political ideology test compresses several separate arguments into one number, this one keeps them apart and shows you each score. No account, no email wall, and the scoring runs in your browser.
A test that survives being argued with
Most political quizzes hand you a dot on a chart and a label you did not choose. This one shows its work: the axes are defined, the scoring is published, and every comparison comes with the reasoning attached.
Twelve axes, not one line
Left and right compress dozens of separate arguments into a single number. 12Axes keeps them apart, so a free-marketeer with traditional instincts stops reading as a contradiction.
Statements coded in both directions
Every axis is probed from each side. Reversed items are interleaved through the run, so agreeing with everything does not quietly push you to one end.
Matched against 31 written profiles
Your vector is compared with 31 ideologies, 28 civic traditions and 53 historical figures — each with a definition you are free to disagree with.
A result you can explain
Every bar comes with the axis definition behind it, and the deep report shows which statements moved it furthest. Nothing here is a black box.
Built to be shared
Export a portrait card sized for Instagram, TikTok or X, or send a link that reopens your exact twelve scores on any device.
No account, no answer log
Scoring runs in this browser. We do not keep your answers, we do not build a file on you, and there is no sign-up wall before the result.
How does the 12Axes test work?
You answer a fixed set of questions on a five-point scale, and each answer moves one of the twelve axes toward one of its poles. Runs come in three lengths — 36, 60 or 120 questions — and all three use the same twelve axes and the same scoring. Longer runs simply ask more statements per axis, which matters most when two ideologies sit close together.
The scoring runs in your browser, and you can stop halfway through and come back to it.
Pick a length
36, 60 or 120 statements. The short run is enough for a first profile; the long one separates ideologies that sit close together.
Answer on a five-point scale
Strongly disagree through strongly agree, with a genuine neutral in the middle. Unfinished runs are saved locally so you can close the tab.
Read the profile — then argue with it
Twelve percentages, your closest ideologies, a civic tradition and a historical figure, plus the statements that shaped each bar.
The twelve axes, explained
The twelve axes are the twelve separate dimensions the test scores: power, democracy, economy, welfare, sovereignty, force, culture, religion, ecology, technology, structure and rights. Together they describe your political ideology in enough detail that a position which is economically left and culturally traditional stays visible instead of collapsing into one label.
Each axis is a genuine tension rather than a good-versus-bad choice. Scores run from −100 to +100: +100 is the right-hand pole named on each card, −100 the left-hand one, and 0 is the centre of that axis rather than a better answer.
Power
How much power should the state hold over the individual?
Where you draw the line between collective security and personal freedom.
Civil libertyState authority
Democracy
Who should take the final decision — the public or the qualified?
Whether legitimacy comes from numbers or from competence.
Popular ruleExpert governance
Economy
Should production be directed or left to compete?
Who decides what gets built — markets, ministries, or both.
Planned economyFree market
Welfare
How far should the collective carry the individual?
The balance between a shared safety net and personal responsibility.
Social provisionSelf-reliance
Sovereignty
Should the nation or the international order hold the final word?
How far you would pool power beyond the border.
Global integrationNational sovereignty
Force
What actually keeps the peace?
Whether influence is won by arms or by argument.
DiplomacyHard power
Culture
Is inherited custom a resource or an obstacle?
How much weight you give to what a society already is.
ProgressTradition
Religion
How much room should faith have in public life?
Whether public morality needs a sacred anchor.
Secular stateReligious foundation
Ecology
Is the economy bounded by nature, or the reverse?
What you would trade for a stable climate.
Ecological limitsEconomic growth
Technology
Should new capability be released or restrained?
How much risk you accept in exchange for progress.
PrecautionAcceleration
Structure
At what level should power sit?
Whether the capital or the community governs.
DecentralisationCentralisation
Rights
Can a majority vote away a fundamental right?
Whether democracy needs a limit it cannot itself remove.
Majority ruleEntrenched rights
Every axis runs from one pole to the other
Scores sit between −100 and +100. Zero is the centre of that axis; it is not a judgement about the axis itself.
Civil libertyPopular rulePlanned economySocial provisionGlobal integrationDiplomacyProgressSecular stateEcological limitsPrecautionDecentralisationMajority rule
State authorityExpert governanceFree marketSelf-relianceNational sovereigntyHard powerTraditionReligious foundationEconomic growthAccelerationCentralisationEntrenched rights
Want the definitions in full? Read the twelve axes →
What do your 12Axes test results mean?
Your result is twelve scores, one per axis, plus the closest matches from the library: an ideology, a civic tradition and a historical figure. Nothing is hidden behind the paid report except the numbers behind the bars, the written readings, the full ranking lists and the statement-by-statement review.
Georgism — 90% match
A sample profile, shown at the same detail you get for free. Defining axis: Entrenched rights at +65.
What can your 12Axes results tell you?
They answer three questions: which ideology you are closest to, which country's civic tradition your answers most resemble, and which historical figure your pattern matches. That whole pattern is your ideological profile — the country match is a proximity to a modelled civic tradition, not a statement about where you live or how that country votes today.
How accurate is the 12Axes test?
It is a structured self-report with published scoring, not a validated psychometric instrument. What it measures is the answers you gave, not who you are — so read it as a precise vocabulary for a position you already hold, and expect to argue with parts of it.
That is a deliberate limit. The axis definitions and the scoring are open to inspection, and you can see which statements moved each bar. It is not a psychological assessment, it should not be used to judge anyone's mental health, employment or legal standing, and nothing in a result is a voting recommendation.
How is 12Axes different from the Political Compass?
They are two different models rather than two versions of the same one. The Political Compass places you on two axes — economic left to right, and social authoritarian to libertarian — and returns one of four quadrants. 12Axes scores twelve separate axes and returns a profile.
Both are free, and they can place the same person differently for a straightforward reason: a two-axis political compass test has to combine several separate disagreements into one number, while twelve axes keep them apart. It can tell you that you are economically left and socially libertarian; it cannot also tell you where you stand on sovereignty, ecology or technology. That extra detail is what the other ten axes carry.
What the optional reports cost
Free results first. Reports are optional, one-time, and offered at the end of your result.
Prices are shown up front so nothing is hidden behind the test. Your twelve axis scores, your closest matches and your share card are free; the three reports below add the numbers behind the bars, the written readings, the full ranking lists and the statement-by-statement review, and are offered once your result is on screen. There is nothing to buy before you have seen your profile.
Personal and Plus are on sale now. Deep is shown as a preview: it is the report that reads the statements behind each bar, and the test does not keep your answers, so there is nothing for it to read yet. We would rather publish the plan than take an order we cannot fill.
Personal
$4.99one-time
A complete report on you: all twelve axes and your closest matches, written out in full.
What the report gives you
- All 12 axis scores as exact numbers
- A written reading of each of the 12 axes
- All 31 ideologies ranked against you
- The written report itself, as a printable PDF
Plus
$14.99one-time
Your profile plus the comparisons — ideologies, countries, historical figures and a friend.
Most people choose Plus.
Everything in Personal, plus:
- Axis-by-axis comparison with your ten closest ideologies
- All 28 civic traditions ranked against you
- All 53 historical figures ranked against you
- Compare a friend
- Search all 112 profiles
Deep
$24.99one-time
The complete analysis, with the evidence and reasoning behind every bar.
Preview only. Deep reads the answers behind each bar, and the test does not keep your answers, so this report is not on sale yet.
Everything in Plus, plus:
- Answer evidence: every statement and the points it moved
- Cross-axis reading
- What-if answers
- Reading plan
Unsure what a report looks like? Read a sample Personal report → — it is the real layout, written from the sample profile above, or open the same profile as a Plus report → to see the comparisons beside it. Want to inspect the statement-level analysis? Preview a Deep report →
Every feature, side by side
All 13 features, with ✓ where a report includes one and — where it does not. The last two groups are the differences that decide the price. Swipe the table sideways to see all three reports.
| Feature | Personal$4.99 | Plus$14.99Recommended | Deep$24.99Not on sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| In every reportYour own profile written out: the numbers behind the bars and the full list. | |||
| All 12 axis scores as exact numbers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| A written reading of each of the 12 axes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| All 31 ideologies ranked against you | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| The written report itself, as a printable PDF | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Added in PlusThe step most people take: from reading your own profile to comparing it. | |||
| Axis-by-axis comparison with your ten closest ideologies | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| All 28 civic traditions ranked against you | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| All 53 historical figures ranked against you | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compare a friend | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search all 112 profiles | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Added in DeepThe full analysis, for reading the evidence behind every bar. | |||
| Answer evidence: every statement and the points it moved | — | — | ✓ |
| Cross-axis reading | — | — | ✓ |
| What-if answers | — | — | ✓ |
| Reading plan | — | — | ✓ |
Why Plus is the one we recommend. It keeps the whole Personal report and adds the comparisons — all 28 civic traditions and 53 historical figures ranked against you, an axis-by-axis comparison with your ten closest ideologies, a friend comparison and search across all 112 profiles — for $10.00 more.
One-time purchase. No subscription.
No account and no card are needed to take the test. The three reports are offered at the end of your result. Questions about a report, a refund or anything else? Write to support@12axes.io.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 12Axes test?＋
It is a free political profile test built on twelve separate dimensions — power, democracy, economy, welfare, sovereignty, force, culture, religion, ecology, technology, structure and rights. Instead of placing you on a single left-to-right line, it returns twelve independent scores and compares that pattern with a written library of ideologies, civic traditions and historical figures.
How is the 12Axes test different from the Political Compass?＋
The Political Compass uses two axes and returns a quadrant; 12Axes scores twelve independent axes and returns a profile matched against a written library of ideologies, civic traditions and historical figures. The comparison section on this page goes through what that changes in practice.
How many questions are in the 12Axes test?＋
There are three lengths: 36 questions (about six minutes), 60 (about eleven) and 120 (about twenty-four). All three use the same twelve axes and the same scoring — longer runs simply ask more statements per axis, which helps when two ideologies sit close together. Progress is saved in your browser, so you can stop halfway and come back.
Does 12Axes have a 240-question version?＋
No. The 12Axes test has three versions — 36, 60 and 120 questions. The 120-question Deep version already uses the complete question bank, so there is nothing longer to unlock.
Is the 12Axes test free?＋
Yes. The test, your twelve axis scores, your closest matches and the share card are free, with no account and no card. The optional reports are one-time purchases with no subscription — Personal and Plus are on sale and their prices are listed in the pricing section of the home page. Deep is shown there as a preview, not as something you can buy yet.
Do I need an account?＋
No. There is no sign-up, no email wall and no password. You can finish the test, read your result and share it without giving us anything. support@12axes.io is there if you want to reach a person.
How is my result calculated?＋
Each statement is coded in advance for one axis and one direction. Agreeing scores toward one pole, disagreeing scores toward the other, and the neutral option contributes nothing. Your answers are summed per axis and normalised to a score between −100 and +100, where 0 is the centre of that axis. Full runs need every axis answered at least once.
What is the difference between the 36, 60 and 120-statement versions?＋
All three use the same twelve axes and the same scoring. The longer versions add more statements per axis, drawn from both directions, which mainly matters when two ideologies sit close together on your vector. If your result changes materially between versions, that is worth noticing — the deep report flags which axes moved.
Are the axis scores percentages?＋
No, and we would rather say so plainly. A bar showing +72 on Sovereignty means you leaned strongly toward national sovereignty on the statements you saw — it is a position on a scale from −100 to +100, not the proportion of people who agree with you, and not a probability.
How are the ideology, country and historical figure matches chosen?＋
Every entry in the library carries a twelve-value vector, written by hand and published on the library page. We measure the average distance between your vector and each entry across all twelve axes and rank the closest. A country match describes a modelled constitutional and civic tradition, not how that country's citizens vote.
Is the 12Axes test accurate?＋
It is accurate about the answers you gave and nothing more. Every axis is defined and the scoring is published, but this is a structured self-report rather than a validated psychometric instrument, and it should not be used to assess anyone's mental health, employment or legal standing.
Do you store my answers?＋
The test runs entirely in your browser and we do not transmit your individual answers. Your result is kept in local storage on your own device so the results page still works after a reload. Clearing your browser data removes it.
Can I share my result?＋
Yes, and it is built for it. The results page exports a portrait share card, and the share link encodes your twelve scores directly into the URL, so anyone who opens it sees your profile without you having to explain it.
Can I retake the 12Axes test?＋
Yes, as often as you like. You can start a fresh run at any length from the test page, and the results page keeps a link to take it again. Nothing is stored on our side, so a retake starts from nothing; if a score moves sharply, check the axis definition before assuming the test is wrong.
Why are there no living politicians in the results?＋
The historical figures in the library are drawn from antiquity to the middle of the twentieth century. Naming people who are currently in office would turn a description of your views into a partisan endorsement, and it would tell you more about the news cycle than about your own position.
How do I get a paid report, or report a problem?＋
Write to support@12axes.io with the plan you want or the issue you hit. We answer every message, including disagreements with a score.
Six minutes to a profile you can defend
Start with the 36-statement run, or go straight to the 60-statement version most profiles are calibrated against. Either way your result is ready before the kettle boils.